Abstract
Developing highly efficient and selective electrocatalysts for the CO(2) reduction reaction to produce value-added chemicals has been intensively pursued. We report a series of Cu(x) O(y) C(z) nanostructured electrocatalysts derived from a Cu-based MOF as porous self-sacrificial template. Blending catalysts with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) suppressed the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. 25 to 50 wt % teflonized GDEs exhibited a Faradaic efficiency of ≈54 % for C(2+) products at -80 mA cm(-2) . The local OH(-) ions activity of PTFE-modified GDEs was assessed by means of closely positioning a Pt-nanoelectrode. A substantial increase in the OH(-) /H(2) O activity ratio due to the locally generated OH(-) ions at increasing current densities was determined irrespective of the PTFE amount.