High-temperature reduction , effects carbon monoxide hydrogenation

Copper and copper alloys exhibit special catalytic effects in the electroreduction of carbon dioxide. They represent unique cathode materials, which can electrocatalytically convert CO2 and water into hydrocarbons and alcohols, at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure [2]. So far, copper metal is the only electrode material able to produce significant amounts of hydrocarbons at high reaction rates and over 50% Faradaic yield, over a sustained period of time. Its drawbacks are that a copper electrode can operate only at high overpotential (of almost 1 V), and a mixture of major and minor products are obtained, which contains hydrogen, ethylene and methane [43,47,88]. In these reactions, carbon monoxide appears to be a key intermediate, and its further reduction yields a series of reaction products [2,89]. Copper cathodes can be operated at high current density in aqueous... 

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