Publication date: 21st July 2025
The electroreduction of CO₂ into value-added products has emerged as a promising strategy for CO₂ emission mitigation and utilization, offering both environmental and economic benefits. This process converts industrial waste into a valuable feedstock for producing chemicals such as carbon monoxide, formate, ethylene, methanol, and ethanol. Among these, methanol and ethanol stand out as clean fuels and key chemical intermediates with increasing demand, particularly in fuel cells and synthetic fuel applications. Among various catalytic materials, Cu-based catalysts have shown the highest potential for CO₂ electroreduction to alcohols [1]. However, their selectivity remains limited due to the competing formation of byproducts such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and formate. To enhance alcohol selectivity, several strategies have been explored, including catalyst design, support material modifications, the incorporation of doping agents, and the optimization of reaction conditions such as electrolyte pH and composition [2]. In this work, we evaluate the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction toward alcohols (methanol and ethanol) using modified Cu-based catalysts. Commercial Cu nanoparticles (C2CAT) are used as the base catalyst. The study explores three key modifications: (i) varying Cu mass loading from 5 to 10 wt.%, (ii) assessing different porous support materials (zirconia and alumina), and (iii) incorporating ZnO as a dopant to enhance alcohol selectivity. The electroreduction experiments are conducted in a filter-press reactor with an active area of 10 cm². The Cu-based catalyst is deposited onto a gas diffusion layer (GDL, Sigracet 39 BB) with a catalytic loading of 1 mg cm⁻². The cathode is continuously supplied with CO₂ at a flow rate of 200 mL min⁻¹. Additionally, electrolyte composition is examined as a factor influencing selectivity. The effect of different cations (K⁺ or Na⁺) is investigated, along with variations in feed flow rates ranging from 0.7 to 5.7 mL min⁻¹. The results of this study will provide insights into the optimal Cu catalyst design for maximizing alcohol selectivity, contributing to the advancement of CO₂ electroreduction as a viable alternative to conventional ethanol and methanol production.
The authors acknowledge the financial the projects PID2022-138491OB-C31 (MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, UE), TED2021-129810B-C21, and PLEC2022-009398 (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR). The present work is related to CAPTUS Project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101118265. Jose Antonio Abarca gratefully acknowledges the predoctoral research grant (FPI) PRE2021-097200.
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