Transforming carbon dioxide into butanol through the application of copper cathodes enriched with phosphorus: A process turning waste into a valuable resource

In the heart of South Korea's Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), a team of researchers has made a significant breakthrough in the field of electrochemistry. This team, led by Prof. Sungyool Bong and Prof. Dr. Jaeyoung Lee, has developed a novel electrocatalyst using copper phosphide (CuP) that can convert carbon monoxide (CO) into 1-butanol with remarkable efficiency.

The research, published in the prestigious journal ACS Energy Letters on 11 June 2021, is titled "Formation of 1-Butanol from CO without CO Dimerization on a Phosphorus-Rich Copper Cathode." The paper was authored by Minjun Choi, Sungyool Bong, Jin Won Kim, and Jaeyoung Lee, along with other collaborators.

Minjun Choi, a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jaeyoung Lee, played a key role in this research. Choi received his Master's degree in electrochemistry from GIST in 2019. Dr. Kim, a senior researcher and research assistant professor at the ERTL Center for Electrochemistry and Catalysis at GIST, also contributed significantly to the project. Kim received his PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from GIST in 2015.

The CuP electrocatalyst yielded the desired product, 1-butanol, with a remarkably high Faradaic efficiency of over 3%. This is among the first instances in which CuP has been used to develop an electrocatalyst that is highly product-selective.

The CuP electrocatalyst induces a C-C coupling reaction and circumvents the formation of CO, a critical intermediate for Cu-based systems. This method avoids the CO dimerization process, increasing the selectivity of the product.

The team's goal is to design new electrodes that can increase production rates and promote conversion efficiency. Prof. Bong's research is currently focused on fuel cells, CO conversion, and chemical energy conversion. Prof. Lee, the vice director of the ERTL Center and a prominent full professor at the GIST School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, continues to lead the way in electrochemical research.

The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) is a research-oriented university in Gwangju, South Korea, known for its strong research environment and high university rankings. This latest breakthrough is a testament to the institution's commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation.

For those interested in learning more about this research, the DOI for the paper is https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c00723. The paper also includes contributions from Yiming Rong, Zijian Zhou, Andrea S. Bagger, Hsin-Bang Yang, Feng Jiao, and Ib Chorkendorff.

Transforming carbon dioxide into butanol through the application of copper cathodes enriched with phosphorus: A process turning waste into a valuable resource