472181 Understanding the Influence of [EMIM] Cl on the Suppression of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Transition Metal Electrodes

Monday, November 14, 2016: 8:20 AM
Franciscan C (Hilton San Francisco Union Square)
Jeremy T. Feaster1, Anna L. Jongerius1, Stephanie Nitopi1, Christopher Hahn1, Makoto Urushihara2, Karen Chan3, Jens K. Nørskov4 and Thomas F. Jaramillo5, (1)Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, (2)SUNCAT Center for Catalysis and Interface Science, Menlo Park, CA, (3)Department of Chemical Engineering, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, CA, (4)SUNCAT Center for Interface Science, Stanford University and SLAC National Laboratory, Stanford, CA, (5)Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Ionic liquids have recently been suggested to suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as well as increase selectivity and activity for CO2 reduction to high value chemicals and fuels. To learn more about the origin of this effect, we have studied the influence of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([EMIM] Cl) on HER on Ag, Cu and Fe electrodes in acidic and basic media. In the absence of CO2, HER is suppressed on all three electrodes in acidic media; no such suppression is observed in basic media. Furthermore, we used 1H NMR spectroscopy to identify compounds that are formed as the [EMIM] Cl breaks down at both the working and counter electrodes under electrochemical reaction conditions.

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See more of this Session: Electrocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis I: CO2 Reduction
See more of this Group/Topical: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division