Ionic liquids/polyionic liquids assisted synthesis of CuO nanoparticles for CO 2 reduction to formic acid

This study demonstrates the utilization of polyionic liquids (PILs) as a nanosynthetic template in the synthesis of CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs). PILs exhibit remarkable capabilities in providing well-defined structures of CuO NPs and enhancing their dispersion characteristics. The co-precipitation method is employed to synthesize CuO NPs using 1-vinyl-3-butyl imidazolium chloride, 1-vinyl-3-heptyl imidazolium chloride, 1-vinyl-3-benzyl imidazolium chloride [VBzIM][Cl], and their corresponding polymeric forms. Morphological and crystalline analyses of the CuO nanoparticles were carried out using FESEM and XRD. The synthesized CuO NPs were then utilized as catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 (CO 2 ECR) into formic acid. HPLC analysis is used to examine and validate the effect of size and morphology of CuO NPs on the formation of formic acid. The results indicate that medium-sized CuO NPs exhibit the highest performance in the CO 2 ECR process.