Synthesis of copper nanostructured electrodes onto carbon paper for the catalytic electroreduction of CO2

The catalytic electroreduction of carbon dioxide represents a promising technology for the management of the energy sources and the abatement of CO2 emissions. For the industrial implementation of this process, it is required the development of a selective and stable nanostructured catalytic electrode. In this study, we evaluated the synthesis of nanostructured metallic electrodes produced by galvanostatic electrodeposition of copper onto a carbon paper support. The effects of deposition current density on morphology and catalytic properties of the electrodes were analyzed. The formation of copper nano and microstructure was observed on the external structure of the carbon paper support. Regarding the morphology, a correlation between applied current density and deposition structure was found. Electrodeposited electrodes showed a catalytic selectivity towards the production of carbon monoxide almost four times greater than copper foil electrodes. An inverse correlation between deposition current density and catalytic selectivity was observed. A decrease in the deposition current from -6 mA cm-2 to -2 mA cm−2 resulted in a doubling of the measured selectivity.