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Volume 1 Issue 12, December 2018

Copper nanocavities in electrosynthesis

Using renewable electricity to convert carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to value-added carbon-based chemical feedstocks reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Here, Sargent and co-workers report C3 alcohol fuel (n-propanol) production from carbon monoxide by a copper nanocavity electrocatalyst. They demonstrate that the nanocavity geometry can concentrate the C2 intermediate internally, promoting further conversion to C3 products via C2:C1 coupling.

See Zhuang et al.

Image: Edward H. Sargent, University of Toronto. Cover Design: Karen Moore.

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Reviews

  • Two-dimensional materials have been in the spotlight since the discovery of graphene, and over time an extensive library of other ultrathin layered structures have emerged. In this Review, Pumera and Chia gather and discuss the features of this class of materials and review their recent applications in electrocatalysis.

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    Review Article
  • The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide allows recycling of the greenhouse gas to produce chemicals and fuels. In this Review, Seh and co-workers discuss the progress in operando techniques applied to heterogeneous carbon dioxide electroreduction, highlighting the mechanistic insights that these techniques have provided.

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    • Zhi Wei Seh
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