Porous Metal Dendrites as Gas Diffusion Electrodes for High Efficiency Aqueous Reduction of CO2 to Hydrocarbons

Abstract

An electrolytic cell system to convert carbon dioxide to a hydrocarbon that includes a first electrode including a substrate having a metal porous dendritic structure applied thereon; a second electrode, and an electrical input adapted for coupling to a source of electricity, for applying a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode.

1 . An electrolytic cell system to convert carbon dioxide to a hydrocarbon comprising:
 (a) a first electrode including a substrate having a metal porous dendritic structure applied thereon;   (b) a second electrode; and   (c) an electrical input adapted for coupling to a source of electricity, for applying a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from platinum, gold, silver, zinc, cobalt, nickel, tin, palladium and copper. 
     
     
         3 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 2 , wherein the metal is copper. 
     
     
         4 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from copper, copper foil, glassy carbon and titanium. 
     
     
         5 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is at least partially saturated with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte source capable of being introduced into a region in between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrolytic cell system. 
     
     
         7 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 6 , wherein the electrolyte is selected from a bicarbonate salt, sodium chloride, carbonic acid, hydrogen, potassium and methanol. 
     
     
         8 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 6 , further comprising a membrane to dissolve carbon dioxide in the electrolyte. 
     
     
         9 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 5 , further comprising a conduit to pass carbon dioxide directly to the surface of the first electrode. 
     
     
         10 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a source of a metal porphryrin salt capable of being introduced into a region in between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrolytic cell system. 
     
     
         11 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 10 , wherein the metal porphyrin salt is a metal chlorophyllin salt. 
     
     
         12 . The electrolytic cell system of  claim 11 , wherein the metal chlorphyllin salt is copper chlorophyllin. 
     
     
         13 . An electrode for an electrolytic cell system comprising a substrate with a metal porous dendritic structure applied thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The electrode of  claim 13 , wherein the metal is selected from platinum, gold, silver, zinc, cobalt, nickel, tin, palladium and copper. 
     
     
         15 . The electrode of  claim 14 , wherein the metal is copper. 
     
     
         16 . A method of converting carbon dioxide to a hydrocarbon comprising:
 providing an electrolytic cell that includes
 (a) a first electrode including a substrate having a metal porous dendritic structure applied thereon; 
 (b) a second electrode, and 
 (c) an electrical input adapted for coupling to a source of electricity, for applying a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode; 
   introducing a source of carbon dioxide to the electrolytic cell; and   applying the voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal is selected from platinum, gold, silver, zinc, cobalt, nickel, tin, palladium and copper. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal is copper. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the copper dendritic structure is prepared by a process that includes adding copper chlorophyllin to the electrolytic cell and electrodepositing the copper chlorophyllin on the first electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carbon dioxide is obtained from an air stream, a combustion exhaust stream, or a pre-existing carbon dioxide source. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon is ethylene. 
     
     
         22 . A method for preparing an electrode for use in an electrolytic cell comprising:
 (a) providing an electrolytic cell;   (b) applying a solution of a metal porphyrin salt to the electrolytic cell; and   (c) applying electricity to plate the metal porphyrin salt on the substrate.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the metal porphyrin salt is a metal chlorphyllin salt. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the metal chlorophyllin salt is copper chlorophyllin. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the metal porphyrin salt is pulse plated or reverse pulse plated on the substrate. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the metal porphyrin salt is applied to the substrate using high current density to create hydrogen bubble templates on the surface of the substrate.