Effects of Ag Nanoparticle Coated Metal Electrodes on Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction in Aqueous KHCO₃ (Supporting Information)

<p>Electrochemical CO₂ reduction is crucial for developing a sustainable closed-carbon-cycle society; however, the factors determining product selectivity have not been fully established, especially when the reaction is carried out over metal cathodes. The selectivity of the CO₂ reduction pathway can be improved by modifying the cathode’s catalyst surface. This can be achieved by using specific surface of single crystal or by alloying through the addition of an impurity. In this study, the products of electrochemical CO₂ reduction were evaluated in an aqueous KHCO₃ system at various applied currents and with various metal cathodes. The metal cathodes were coated by Ag nanoparticles, as the Ag cathode was determined to yield the best Faradaic efficiency for CO production in an aqueous KHCO₃ system. Our results suggest that some Ag coated cathodes enhance CO₂ reduction, and thus the reduction products are tunable through surface modification.</p>