Copper nanoparticles of porous, controlled structure were synthesized using the sacrificial support method (SSM). The precursor weight percent (wt%) of copper (Cu) and fumed silica (EH-5) was varied to determine the optimum ratio for this material. The precursors were reduced at i) 350°C in a 7% H2 atmosphere and ii) at 250°C in a 100% H2 atmosphere. The specific surface areas of the nanoparticles was measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 absorption. The morphologies and widths of the nanoparticles were confirmed by imaging the nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bulk composition of the nanoparticles was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results of these characterizations are discussed in detail. The nanoparticles with a precursor Cu content of 5 and 10wt% exhibited the most controlled morphology with smallest particle widths when reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 (21.5 ± 6.7 nm and 29.3 ± 11.3 nm, respectively) and at 350°C in 7% H2 (29.8 ± 9.4 nm and 60.5 ± 21.5 nm, respectively). Carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction (CER) on the Cu nanoparticles synthesized by SSM was confirmed with rotating disk electrode experiments (RDE) using cyclic voltammetry at 25°C in CO2 saturated 0.1M potassium bicarbonate solution (KHCO3) at atmospheric pressure. The electrochemical stability of these nanoparticles was tested via bulk electrolysis for one hour at -1.2, -1.6, and -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in kinetic and diffusion limited regimes. All nanoparticles exhibited activity towards CER and displayed excellent stability for at the potentials tested. The current densities observed during bulk electrolysis at -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl were between ca. -23 and -40 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 350 °C in 7% H2 atmosphere and ca. -12 and -20 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 atmosphere. The magnitude and stability of these particles makes them ideal candidates for further studies that will determine their relative efficiencies towards specific CER products by liquid and gas quantification.
","abstract_html":"<p>Copper nanoparticles of porous, controlled structure were synthesized using the sacrificial support method (SSM). The precursor weight percent (wt%) of copper (Cu) and fumed silica (EH-5) was varied to determine the optimum ratio for this material. The precursors were reduced at i) 350°C in a 7% H2 atmosphere and ii) at 250°C in a 100% H2 atmosphere. The specific surface areas of the nanoparticles was measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 absorption. The morphologies and widths of the nanoparticles were confirmed by imaging the nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bulk composition of the nanoparticles was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results of these characterizations are discussed in detail. The nanoparticles with a precursor Cu content of 5 and 10wt% exhibited the most controlled morphology with smallest particle widths when reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 (21.5 ± 6.7 nm and 29.3 ± 11.3 nm, respectively) and at 350°C in 7% H2 (29.8 ± 9.4 nm and 60.5 ± 21.5 nm, respectively). Carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction (CER) on the Cu nanoparticles synthesized by SSM was confirmed with rotating disk electrode experiments (RDE) using cyclic voltammetry at 25°C in CO2 saturated 0.1M potassium bicarbonate solution (KHCO3) at atmospheric pressure. The electrochemical stability of these nanoparticles was tested via bulk electrolysis for one hour at -1.2, -1.6, and -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in kinetic and diffusion limited regimes. All nanoparticles exhibited activity towards CER and displayed excellent stability for at the potentials tested. The current densities observed during bulk electrolysis at -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl were between ca. -23 and -40 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 350 °C in 7% H2 atmosphere and ca. -12 and -20 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 atmosphere. The magnitude and stability of these particles makes them ideal candidates for further studies that will determine their relative efficiencies towards specific CER products by liquid and gas quantification.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Padilla, Monica Alisa"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Chemical Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Chemical and Biological Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Atanassov, Plamen","Serov, Alexey","Datye, Abhaya"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-06-26T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-06-26T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:26:42Z","subjects":["electrochemistry","sacrificial support method","carbon dioxide electroreduction","copper","nanoparticles","Chemical Engineering"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cbe_etds/47"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cbe_etds/47","href":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cbe_etds/47","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1928/27946","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Atanassov, Plamen","Serov, Alexey","Datye, Abhaya"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Padilla, Monica Alisa"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-05-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Chemical and Biological Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis","Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Chemical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["electrochemistry","sacrificial support method","carbon dioxide electroreduction","copper","nanoparticles","Chemical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1928/27946","https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cbe_etds/47"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Copper nanoparticles of porous, controlled structure were synthesized using the sacrificial support method (SSM). The precursor weight percent (wt%) of copper (Cu) and fumed silica (EH-5) was varied to determine the optimum ratio for this material. The precursors were reduced at i) 350°C in a 7% H2 atmosphere and ii) at 250°C in a 100% H2 atmosphere. The specific surface areas of the nanoparticles was measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 absorption. The morphologies and widths of the nanoparticles were confirmed by imaging the nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bulk composition of the nanoparticles was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results of these characterizations are discussed in detail. The nanoparticles with a precursor Cu content of 5 and 10wt% exhibited the most controlled morphology with smallest particle widths when reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 (21.5 ± 6.7 nm and 29.3 ± 11.3 nm, respectively) and at 350°C in 7% H2 (29.8 ± 9.4 nm and 60.5 ± 21.5 nm, respectively). Carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction (CER) on the Cu nanoparticles synthesized by SSM was confirmed with rotating disk electrode experiments (RDE) using cyclic voltammetry at 25°C in CO2 saturated 0.1M potassium bicarbonate solution (KHCO3) at atmospheric pressure. The electrochemical stability of these nanoparticles was tested via bulk electrolysis for one hour at -1.2, -1.6, and -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in kinetic and diffusion limited regimes. All nanoparticles exhibited activity towards CER and displayed excellent stability for at the potentials tested. The current densities observed during bulk electrolysis at -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl were between ca. -23 and -40 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 350 °C in 7% H2 atmosphere and ca. -12 and -20 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 atmosphere. The magnitude and stability of these particles makes them ideal candidates for further studies that will determine their relative efficiencies towards specific CER products by liquid and gas quantification.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide on Porous Copper Nanoparticles"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Atanassov, Plamen","Serov, Alexey","Datye, Abhaya"],"dc:creator":["Padilla, Monica Alisa"],"dc:date.available":["2017-05-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Copper nanoparticles of porous, controlled structure were synthesized using the sacrificial support method (SSM). The precursor weight percent (wt%) of copper (Cu) and fumed silica (EH-5) was varied to determine the optimum ratio for this material. The precursors were reduced at i) 350°C in a 7% H2 atmosphere and ii) at 250°C in a 100% H2 atmosphere. The specific surface areas of the nanoparticles was measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 absorption. The morphologies and widths of the nanoparticles were confirmed by imaging the nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bulk composition of the nanoparticles was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results of these characterizations are discussed in detail. The nanoparticles with a precursor Cu content of 5 and 10wt% exhibited the most controlled morphology with smallest particle widths when reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 (21.5 ± 6.7 nm and 29.3 ± 11.3 nm, respectively) and at 350°C in 7% H2 (29.8 ± 9.4 nm and 60.5 ± 21.5 nm, respectively). Carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction (CER) on the Cu nanoparticles synthesized by SSM was confirmed with rotating disk electrode experiments (RDE) using cyclic voltammetry at 25°C in CO2 saturated 0.1M potassium bicarbonate solution (KHCO3) at atmospheric pressure. The electrochemical stability of these nanoparticles was tested via bulk electrolysis for one hour at -1.2, -1.6, and -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in kinetic and diffusion limited regimes. All nanoparticles exhibited activity towards CER and displayed excellent stability for at the potentials tested. The current densities observed during bulk electrolysis at -2.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl were between ca. -23 and -40 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 350 °C in 7% H2 atmosphere and ca. -12 and -20 mA cm-2 for the nanoparticles reduced at 250°C in 100% H2 atmosphere. The magnitude and stability of these particles makes them ideal candidates for further studies that will determine their relative efficiencies towards specific CER products by liquid and gas quantification.
"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/1928/27946","https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cbe_etds/47"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["electrochemistry","sacrificial support method","carbon dioxide electroreduction","copper","nanoparticles","Chemical Engineering"],"dc:title":["The Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide on Porous Copper Nanoparticles"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Chemical and Biological Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis","Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Chemical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:26:42Z"}