Electrochemically Created Roughened Lead Plate For Electrochemical Reduction Of Aqueous CO₂

The conversion of CO2 to value-added chemicals is motivated by the dual challenges of finding alternative energy sources and stabilizing global warming. In the present study, surface-roughened Pb electrodes were prepared through a facile oxidation-reduction cycle procedure. Compared with their smooth surface counterparts, the electrodes exhibited significantly higher activity, selectivity, and energy utilization in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to HCOOH using water under ambient temperature and pressure. Furthermore, the modified electrodes maintained high activities after operating repeatedly for five batches. The enhanced performance of these electrodes was attributed to the enlarged active surface area and increased number of reactive species associated with the three-dimensional structure of the surface.Meanwhile, a new type of reactor has been designed for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to HCOOH. We compared the economic cost between electrochemical reduction of CO2 technology and CO2 storage technology and find that the former is much more benefit than the latter when comes to the small-scale CO2 treatment.This work offers a new route for developing the performance of other metal electrodes in electrochemical reduction of CO2 and provides a technical support for CO2 conversion in industrial field.