Palladium–gold catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C1–C5 hydrocarbons

Copper is a unique electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction, since it is one of the few catalysts able to produce methane, ethylene and ethane from CO2 with decent faradaic efficiencies. Here we report on the design and synthesis of a new non-copper-containing catalyst able to reduce CO2 to C1 to C5 hydrocarbons. This catalyst was designed by combining a metal that binds CO strongly, Pd, with a metal that binds CO weakly, Au, in an attempt to tune the binding energy of CO. We show that a mixture of C1-C5 hydrocarbons and soluble products are produced from an onset potential of -0.8 VRHE. We propose that the higher hydrocarbons are formed via a polymerization of -CH2 groups adsorbed on the catalyst surface.