Alkali metal cation effects on electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with iron porphyrins

The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Practical electrocatalysis of CO2RR must be carried out aqueous solutions containing electrolytes alkali metal cations such as sodium and potassium. Although considerable efforts have been made to design efficient electrocatalysts for investigate the structure–activity relationships using molecular model complexes, only a few studies investigated effect on CO2RR. In this study, we report (Na+ K+) with Fe porphyrins. By running dimethylformamide (DMF), found that addition Na+ or K+ considerably improves catalytic activity chloride tetrakis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)porphyrin (FeP). Based result, synthesized an porphyrin N18C6-FeP bearing tethered 1-aza-18-crown-6-ether (N18C6) group at second coordination sphere site. We showed N18C6 bind K+, is more active than FeP This work demonstrates positive improve electrocatalysis, which valuable rational new catalysts.