By Ruchi Sharma et al.

Catalytic conversion of CO₂ by both electrochemical pathway and thermochemical heterogeneous catalysis is reported using nanoporous polytriazine (NENP). The NENP has large N content (∼50 wt%) and high SA_BET (707 m² g⁻¹). This heterogeneous catalyst unlike several others catalyst systems doesn’t require any co-catalyst for epoxide and CO₂ activation simultaneously, forming cyclic carbonates. Even a mild experimental condition of 12 h solvothermal heating at 4 bar of CO₂ pressure could lead to almost 100 % conversion of the epoxides. Moreover, NENP exhibited satisfactory stability and versatility, and gives a retention of 89.8 % activity after five cycles. Similarly, the same catalyst has been used for the CO₂ electroreduction to ethanol and methane. The catalyst shows high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 68 % and high selectivity in the ethanol synthesis at a potential of –0.5 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). CO₂ utilization as C2 source is unprecedented as in most of the reported literatures, it acts as a C1 source forming methane, methanol or carbon monoxide as the predominant products.

The full (paywalled) article appeared on the Journal of CO2 Utilization website at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212982021002432