Study of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction using tin-oxalate organometallic frameworks doped with cadmium

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ demands highly effective catalysts due to the molecule's inherent stability. Depending on the catalyst's performance and selectivity, a range of products can be generated, from simple molecules like CO or COOH to valuable organic C₂ compounds. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), known for their exceptional CO₂ capture capabilities, are potentially used as catalysts for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). In this study, we focused on evaluating the electrocatalytic performance of cadmium-modified MOF-type tin oxalates in the CO₂RR process. Our findings demonstrate that incorporating cadmium as a dopant into the tin oxalate MOF not only enhances its ability to convert CO₂ but also facilitates the formation of valuable organics such as formate, acetate, and isopropyl alcohol. The production of reduction products was monitored in real time using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with chronoamperometry, while structural and quantitative analysis was carried out with ¹H NMR spectroscopy.