As a way to explore methods to capture and transform CO2 into useful carbon materials, the electrochemical mechanism of carbonate ion reduction in molten Li2CO3-K2CO3 eutectic mixtures is studied by cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and chronocoulometry.Evidence indicates CO3 2− to undergo reduction to produce solid carbon before the alkali metal ions Li + and K + . The electrode reactions consist of a diffusion-controlled, totally irreversible process comprising a one-step electron transfer. Notably, the described electrochemical process produces carbon sheets, submicron carbon tubes, or submicron carbon particles, depending on the applied cathodic overpotential. When O 2− ions are released as part of the electrochemical reduction of CO3 2− , some of these ions immediately combine with Li + to form insoluble Li2O, which are disadvantageous processes from the standpoint of CO2 capture in the cathodic region.Results suggest thus that a type of molten salt electrolyte in which alkali metal oxides are highly soluble should be employed for effective molten salt CO2 capture and electrochemical transformation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.