Copper foam modified electrodes for CO₂ electroreduction: A study on deposition potential effect and flow cell performance

Authors

  • Hanzhola Gusman Riyanto Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java 16424, Indonesia, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Pamulang, Pamulang, Banten 15417, Indonesia
  • Lewita Pasaribu Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java 16424, Indonesia, Research Center for Catalysis, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Kawasan PUSPIPTEK, South Tangerang, Banten 15314, Indonesia
  • Fathur Rachman Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java 16424, Indonesia
  • Octaviany Magdalena Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java 16424, Indonesia
  • Afiten Rahmin Sanjaya Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java 16424, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61511/eam.v3i2.2025.2649

Keywords:

carbon dioxide, Cu electrode, Cu foam, flow cell

Abstract

Background: The development of effective electrochemical conversion technologies is imperative due to the rising global CO2 emissions. A promising platform for CO2 reduction to formate is copper electrode, which can stabilize the carbon dioxide radical that is essential for CO2 conversion. Methods: In this work, Cu foam was electrodeposited in situ on a copper plate with sodium citrate acting as a capping agent (CuF@Cu), with variation of potential deposition were 3V and 5V. Findings: The foam structure of Cu in Cu electrode was confirmed with SEM and XRD measurements for both potential deposition variations. Furthermore, CO2 electroreduction was carried out in a flow cell under ideal conditions, which included aeration for 20 minutes, a flow rate of 75 mL min⁻¹, and an applied potential of −0.33 V vs. Ag/AgCl. For formic acid conversion, the Faradaic efficiency rose from 14.18% (Cu bare) to 26.73% (CuF@Cu 3V) which an 88.7% improvement over bare copper. Conclusion: The enhanced performance is attributed to the increased surface area and three-dimensional foam structure, which augments active sites for CO₂ activation. This work demonstrates that simple electrodeposition of copper foam is an effective strategy for improving electrochemical CO₂ reduction efficiency. Novelty/Originality of this article: These findings demonstrate that CuF@Cu makes using this straightforward electrodeposition technique a viable option for CO2 to formate conversion.

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Riyanto, H. G., Pasaribu, L., Rachman, F., Magdalena, O., & Sanjaya, A. R. (2025). Copper foam modified electrodes for CO₂ electroreduction: A study on deposition potential effect and flow cell performance. Environmental and Materials, 3(2), 165–177. https://doi.org/10.61511/eam.v3i2.2025.2649

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Vol. 3 No. 2: (December) 2025

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Copyright (c) 2025 Hanzhola Gusman Riyanto, Lewita Pasaribu, Fathur Rachman, Octaviany Magdalena, Afiten Rahmin Sanjaya

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