Electrocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrate Ions to Urea by a Titania-Nafion Composite Electrode

ChemSusChem. 2017 Oct 23;10(20):3999-4003. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201701448. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

Abstract

CO2 and nitrate ions were successfully converted to urea by a TiO2 -Nafion nanocomposite electrode under ambient conditions. The composite electrode was constructed by dropcasting the mixture of P25 titania and Nafion solution on an indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) electrode. When the electrode was electrolyzed in CO2 -saturated 0.1 m KNO3 (pH 4.5) solution at -0.98 V versus Ag/AgCl, urea was formed with a Faradaic efficiency of 40 %. The other reduced products obtained were NH3 , CO, and H2 .

Keywords: carbon dioxide conversion; electrocatalyst; indium-doped tin oxide; titanium oxide; urea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Electrochemistry
  • Electrodes
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers / chemistry*
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nitrates / chemistry*
  • Titanium / chemistry*
  • Urea / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fluorocarbon Polymers
  • Nitrates
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • titanium dioxide
  • perfluorosulfonic acid
  • Urea
  • Titanium