Radiation-assisted electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a versatile intermediate feedstock for many applications and can be produced through the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2). However, current electrochemical CO production is hindered by high overall costs, primarily due to low conversion efficiencies and significant energy requirements. Herein, we report a unique way of enhancing the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO using gamma (gamma) photons. The gamma-irradiation applied to the electrochemical cell setup induces the production of e(center dot)-, which results in an increased CO2 ionization and production of excited CO2 molecules via lower energy barrier. The ionized CO2(center dot)- is quickly stabilized over a silver catalyst, providing an alternative low activation energy route for CO2 reduction. A decrease in the overpotential barrier enhanced the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO by 25%.