Thiophene Functionalized Porphyrin for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction

The production of catalysts that display strong efficiencies in aqueous media for the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is essential both for a healthy world and for realistic application of energy waste to generate value-added fuels. In this study, thiophene functionalized metal-free (poly-H2Por) and cobalt porphyrin-based (poly-CoPor) organometallic catalysts were easily attached on the pencil graphite electrode surface via electrochemical polymerization method and these, porphyrin coated, pencil graphite electrodes (PGE) were used as electrocatalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction for the first time in the literature. To reveal the electrochemical activity of CO2RR, the electropolymerized catalysts were investigated with linear sweep voltammetry in 0.1 M KHCO3 solution. The results showed that, the electrode which is modified with poly-CoPor decreased the overpotential of CO2RR, according to bare pencil graphite electrode, from -1.35 V to -0.63 V.