Gold Nanoparticles on Polymer-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes: An Efficient and Selective Catalyst for the Electroreduction of CO₂

Multiple approaches will be needed to reduce the atmospheric CO₂ levels, which have been linked to the undesirable effects of global climate change. The electroreduction of CO₂ driven by renewable energy is one approach to reduce CO₂ emissions while producing chemical building blocks, but current electrocatalysts exhibit low activity and selectivity. Here, we report the structural and electrochemical characterization of a promising catalyst for the electroreduction of CO₂ to CO: Au nanoparticles supported on polymer-wrapped multiwall carbon nanotubes. This catalyst exhibits high selectivity for CO over H₂ : 80-92 % CO, as well as high activity: partial current density for CO as high as 160 mA cm^-2 . The observed high activity, originating from a high electrochemically active surface area (23 m² g^-1 Au), in combination with the low loading (0.17 mg cm^-2 ) of the highly dispersed Au nanoparticles underscores the promise of this catalyst for efficient electroreduction of CO₂ .