Insight into the Role of Entropy in Promoting Electrochemical CO2 Reduction by Imidazolium Cations

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09687
• Publication Date: 2023-11-29T19:29:10Z
• Authors: Seonmyeong Noh; Yoon Jin Cho; Gong Zhang; Marcel Schreier
• Keywords: Reaction rate

The electroreduction of CO2 plays an important role in achieving a net-zero carbon economy. Imidazolium cations can be used to enhance the rate reduction reactions, but origin this promotion remains poorly understood. In work, we show that presence 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMIM+), on Ag electrodes occurs with apparent activation energy near zero, while applied potential influences through pre-exponential factor. Our findings suggest is controlled by initial state entropy, which depends organization at electrochemical interface. Further characterization shows C2-proton EMIM+ consumed during reaction, leading collapse cation and decrease catalytic performance. results have implications for understanding effect reaction rates, as they indicate common picture based vibrational electron transfer reactions insufficient describing impact complex systems, such imidazolium cations.