Search

Electrochemical reduction reaction of carbon monoxide (CORR) offers a promising way to manufacture acetic acid directly from gaseous CO and water at mild condition. Herein, we discovered that the graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) supported Cu nanoparticles (Cu−CN) with the appropriate size showed a high acetate faradaic efficiency of 62.8 % with a partial current density of 188 mA cm−2 in CORR. In situ experimental and density functional theory calculation studies revealed that the Cu/C3N4 interface and metallic Cu surface synergistically promoted CORR into acetic acid. The generation of pivotal intermediate −*CHO is advantage around the Cu/C3N4 interface and migrated *CHO facilitates acetic acid generation on metallic Cu surface with promoted *CHO coverage. Moreover, continuous production of acetic acid aqueous solution was achieved in a porous solid electrolyte reactor, indicating the great potential of Cu−CN catalyst in the industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetic acid is an important bulk chemical and synthesis of acetic acid via methanol hydrocarboxylation with CO2 and H2 is a very promising route. In this work, we studied the reaction over a number of catalytic systems. It was found that Rh2(CO)4Cl2 with 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) as the ligand was very efficient in the presence of LiCl and LiI. Acetic acid began to form at 150 °C. The TOF was as high as 26.2 h−1 and the yield of acetic acid could reach 81.8% at 180 °C. The catalytic system had obvious advantages, such as simplicity, high activity and selectivity, milder reaction conditions, and less corrosiveness. The excellent cooperation of CO and Cl− in Rh2(CO)4Cl2, suitable basicity and aromaticity of the ligand 4-MI, and the hydrogen bonding ability of Cl− were crucial for the outstanding performance of the catalytic system. The control experiments showed that the reaction did not proceed via the CO pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]