Empowering Sustainable Energy: Lead-Coated Plastic Chip Electrodes for Effective CO2 Reduction

Abstract

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction is crucial in combatting climate change and advancing sustainable energy practices by converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, thereby reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels and enabling the storage and utilization of renewable energy from intermittent sources like solar and wind. The selection of electrode materials and platform design plays a critical role in enhancing reaction efficiency and product selectivity during CO₂ reduction. Various metals, both in their solid forms and coated over substrates, have been used in electrochemical CO₂RR. In this study, we utilized electrodeposition to modify the plastic chip electrode (PCE), depositing lead metal onto it through a galvanostatic method at a current density of 100 mA/cm² from a 0.1 M Pb(NO₃)₂ aqueous solution. Pb-coated electrodes are crucial due to their high selectivity, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility as electrode materials. Their good stability and durability make them ideal for long-term applications. The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide using the Pb/PCE electrode as the cathode has been investigated, focusing on assessing how different electrolysis potentials influenced the faradaic efficiency of formic acid production. Our results demonstrated that the peak faradaic efficiency, reaching 86.2%, was achieved at −0.7 V vs RHE over a 5 h electrolysis period.