Facile Synthesis of Fe@C Loaded on g-C₃N₄ for CO₂ Electrochemical Reduction to CO with Low Overpotential

Abstract

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction has been acknowledged as a hopeful tactic to alleviate environmental and global energy crises. Herein, we designed an Fe@C/g-C 3 N 4 heterogeneous nanocomposite material by a simple one-pot method, which we applied to the electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (ECR). Our optimized 20 mg-Fe@C/g-C 3 N 4 -1100 catalyst displays excellent performance for the ECR and a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 88% with a low overpotential of −0.38 V vs. RHE. The Tafel slope reveals that the first electron transfer, which involves a surface-adsorbed *COOH intermediate, is the rate-determining step for 20 mg-Fe@C/C 3 N 4 -1100 during the ECR. More precisely, the coordinating capability of the g-C 3 N 4 framework and Fe@C species as a highly active site promote the intermediate product transmission. These results indicate that the combination of temperature adjustment and precursor optimization is key to facilitating the ECR of an iron-based catalyst.

Preparation and Application of a Novel S-Scheme Nanoheterojunction Photocatalyst (LaNi0.6Fe0.4O3/g-C3N4)

“…This provided evidence for the successful preparation of the nanocomposite heterostructure material. 27 The types and contents of the catalysts were determined. The ICP test results are shown in Table 1 , where Ni:Fe ≈ 6:4, which verified the actual ratio between Co and Fe in LaNi 0.6 Fe 0.4 O 3 .…”

“…This strategy yields swift separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. 27 − 29 Based on these considerations, we employed a simple solvothermal method to fabricate a three-dimensional LaNi 0.6 Fe 0.4 O 3 /g-C 3 N 4 S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst. Structural characterization of the catalyst was conducted with various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV–vis spectroscopy (220–800 nm).…”

Co-sensitization of Copper Indium Gallium Disulfide and Indium Sulfide on Zinc Oxide Nanostructures: Effect of Morphology in Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction

“…Converting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into valuable chemicals and fuels has made an impact on reducing our carbon footprint. − However, the high stability of CO 2 for conversion into different chemicals restricts the application. Therefore, the research community has focused on developing materials and systems for efficient CO 2 conversion by reducing the high activation energy of CO 2 . − It is possible to achieve CO 2 reduction via various routes, including photocatalytic and electrochemical conversion. − In this way, besides decreasing carbon emissions, value-added chemicals, such as methanol, hydrogen, formic acid, and syngas, can be produced. − Among these chemicals, formic acid stands out as an alternative to fossil fuels due to its advantages, such as being an energy-intensive material, having a high volumetric hydrogen density, and having enormous potential as an effective hydrogen storage vector . Typically, the most important factor in producing different types of chemicals, from formic acid to carbon monoxide and multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates, is the selectivity of the used catalyst.…”

“…Converting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into valuable chemicals and fuels has made an impact on reducing our carbon footprint. 1 − 3 However, the high stability of CO 2 for conversion into different chemicals restricts the application. Therefore, the research community has focused on developing materials and systems for efficient CO 2 conversion by reducing the high activation energy of CO 2 .…”

“…Therefore, the research community has focused on developing materials and systems for efficient CO 2 conversion by reducing the high activation energy of CO 2 . 3 − 7 It is possible to achieve CO 2 reduction via various routes, including photocatalytic and electrochemical conversion. 8 − 13 In this way, besides decreasing carbon emissions, value-added chemicals, such as methanol, hydrogen, formic acid, and syngas, can be produced.…”