Activity and Selectivity of Pd-Based Catalysts for the Electrochemical Conversion of CO_2 to CO

摘要

Electrochemical conversion allows the production of added-value chemicals by direct use of electricity. If the electrical energy is provided by renewables, electrosynthesis will offer a unique opportunity to harvest surplus renewable energy and to store it in the form of chemical energy, i.e. in the form of chemical bonds. These processes will become highly appealing, if the cost for this production of chemicals is comparable to that of conventional synthesis methods. To achieve that, it is essential to develop catalysts which can carry out the reactions of interest with minimal energy losses and with high selectivity, i.e. with limited formation of less valuable by-products.