Efficient Conversion of CO2 to CO Using Tin and Other Inexpensive and Easily Prepared Post-Transition Metal Catalysts

The development of affordable electrocatalysts that can drive the reduction of CO2 to CO with high selectivity, efficiency, and large current densities is a critical step on the path to production of liquid carbon-based fuels. In this work, we show that inexpensive triflate salts of Sn2+, Pb2+, Bi3+, and Sb3+ can be used as precursors for the electrodeposition of CO2 reduction cathode materials from MeCN solutions, providing a general and facile electrodeposition strategy, which streamlines catalyst synthesis. The ability of these four platforms to drive the formation of CO from CO2 in the presence of [BMIM]OTf was probed. The electrochemically prepared Sn and Bi catalysts proved to be highly active, selective, and robust platforms for CO evolution, with partial current densities of jCO = 5–8 mA/cm2 at applied overpotentials of η < 250 mV. By contrast, the electrodeposited Pb and Sb catalysts do not promote rapid CO generation with the same level of selectivity. The Pb material is only ∼10% as active as t...