The synergistic effect of organic molecules with copper anode material lowers the overall voltage for neutral CO₂RR

The primary objective in researching the anode side of electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is to substitute the frequently employed Ir anodic catalyst with more readily available and cost-effective non-noble metal oxide. When organic molecules are loaded on the Cu₂O surface, a synergistic effect can be formed between different components. This effect can accelerate electron transfer, provide new active sites, and further enhance the performance of reactants of oxygen evolutionreaction (OER). This study proposes a new type of anodic catalyst, PDI/Cu₂O/Cu, and investigates its OER activity and three other anodic catalysts (IrO₂/Ti mesh, Ni foam, and Pt mesh) in the CO₂RR system. The results show that PDI/Cu₂O/Cu exhibited OER activity with an overpotential of 422.1 mV to drive a current density of 70 mA·cm⁻² in neutral electrolytes. Compared to IrO₂/Ti mesh, the overpotential of perylene tetracarboxylic di-(propyl imidazole) (PDI)/Cu₂O/Cu is decreased by 490 mV. This significantly lowers the energy consumption of the CO₂RR system without compromising the performance of CO₂RR. Furthermore, the use of precious metal materials is unnecessary, leading to a substantial reduction in the cost of the anodic catalyst. PDI/Cu₂O/Cu holds the potential to serve as a non-precious metal alternative to Ir in neutral electrolytes as an anodic catalyst.