Modifying Copper: Effect of alloying on product selectivity during CO2 reduction

Extreme reliance on fossil fuels has resulted in the disruption of the natural CO2 cycle resulting in a serious concern of global warming. Electrochemical conversion is an environmentally benign method of recycling CO2 into chemical feedstocks however it necessitates the use of effective catalysts. Copper is the only metallic catalyst capable of producing highly reduced carbon products during this process, however, with poor selectivity. Alloying Cu with specific metals is an excellent approach to solve the selectivity problem. This thesis focuses on the design of Cu-based alloy catalysts to optimise product selectivity during electrochemical CO2 reduction.