CO2 Reduction for C2+ in Seawater Using a Graphitic Frustrated Lewis Pair Catalyst

Abstract Ocean acidification due to the absorption of 40% of the world’s anthropogenic CO 2 emissions severely affects the faltering marine ecosystem and the economy. However, there are few reports on reducing CO 2 dissolved in seawater. Herein, we introduce an electrochemical CO 2 reduction battery system for use in seawater with a graphitic frustrated Lewis pair catalytic cathode doped with boron and nitrogen (BN-GFLP). BN-GFLP converts CO 2 dissolved in seawater to multi-carbon (C 2+ ) products during the discharge process, thus increasing the pH of intentionally acidified seawater from 6.4 to 8.0 with more than 87% Faradaic efficiency. In computational chemistry and spectroscopy, BN-GFLP binds CO 2 in a unique manner that enables exothermic C–C coupling pathway to deliver 95% selectivity for valuable C 2+ products. Based on our results, we suggest a molecular design strategy for next-generation CO 2 reduction catalysts for both green oceans and the atmosphere.