Investigating the effects of pyridine and poly(4-vinylpyridine) on CO2 reduction electrocatalysis at gold electrodes using in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroelectrochemistry

James J Walsh

doi:10.1039/d0cp00632g

Investigating the effects of pyridine and poly(4-vinylpyridine) on CO₂ reduction electrocatalysis at gold electrodes using in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroelectrochemistry

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2020 Jun 10;22(22):12766-12771. doi: 10.1039/d0cp00632g.

Author

James J Walsh¹

Affiliation

¹ School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland. james.walsh@dcu.ie and National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.

PMID: 32463399
DOI: 10.1039/d0cp00632g

Abstract

The CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) at metal electrodes is altered in the presence of pyridine and related species. Thick films of poly(4-vinylpyridine) on Au electrodes result in large current enhancements at low applied potentials but do not enhance CO2RR at these potentials. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroelectrochemistry can probe CO2-surface interactions and reveals that desorption of CO2 as bicarbonate is retarded in the presence of 4-PVP, with implications for ion-transport limitations in thick film CO2RR.