Development of rolling tin gas diffusion electrode for carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction to produce formate in aqueous electrolyte

Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction to produce formate (CERPF) basing on gas diffusion electrode (GDE) is a promising carbon cycle technology. However, its performance is still restrained by formate accumulation and catalyst loss in the catalyst layer (CL). In this study, a novel rolling Sn-loading GDE (SGDE) without porous hydrophilic CL is developed. The electrochemical behavior of CERPF on the SGDE is investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical performance of the SGDE for CERPF is assessed by constant potential electrolysis. The results show that the CERPF process basing on the SGDE performs a double charge transfer and is dominated by the electron transfer rate. The highest partial current density for CERPF (17.43 ± 2.60 mA cm−2) and corresponding Faraday efficiency (78.60 ± 0.11%) are obtained under the applied potential of −1.8 V vs Ag/AgCl in 0.5 M KHCO3 solution. The produced formate is allowed to be released into the electrolyte easily and the catalyst holds steady during the CERPF process. Since its excellent electrochemical performance and low fabrication cost (ca. 30 $ m−2), bright prospect for SGDE application in CERPF can be convinced.