Electrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid on Sn-Zn Alloy Catalysts Prepared by Electrodeposition

Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid was attempted on Sn-Zn alloy catalysts. The alloy catalysts were fabricated by electrodeposition, and their compositions were controlled by varying the concentration of the precursor solution. A home made proton exchange membrane-based electrochemical cell was used for the reduction of carbon dioxide. The concentration of formic acid produced and the conversion efficiency were determined via electrolysis and high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The effect of the alloy composition on the amount of formic acid generated and the conversion efficiency was evaluated, and alloy composition was found to have a strong influence on these variables. It was thus concluded that the conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid can be enhanced by alloying Zn with Sn.