The PCS group has contributed to a recent publication that appeared in Nature Communications.
Recep Kas assisted researchers of the catalysis and surface chemistry group of Marc Koper in Leiden in discovering that a cobalt protoporphyrin immobilized on a pyrolytic graphite electrode reduces carbon dioxide in an aqueous acidic solution at relatively low overpotential (0.5V), with an efficiency and selectivity comparable to the best porphyrin-based electrocatalyst in the literature.
While carbon monoxide is the main reduction product, we also observed methane as by-product.
The mechanism of the transformation of CO2 is described and we suggest strategies for designing improved catalysts.
More information can be found on:
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150901/ncomms9177/pdf/ncomms9177.pdf
