The application of ionic liquids in the electrochemical reduction of CO2

With the development of global economy, the combustion of a large number of fossil fuels leads to the emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide. Although CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, CO2 is also an abundant carbon resource with great application potential. A series of methods for CO2 fixation and conversion have been developed. Among these methods, electrochemical reduction of CO2 is one of the most efficient ways which could be achieved at normal temperature and pressure. However, there are some difficulties for electrochemical reduction of CO2 such as the solubility of CO2 in electrolyte, low energy efficiency and selectivity of reduction product. Ionic liquids have been proved to be excellent electrolytes or electrocatalysts for electrochemical reduction of CO2 due to their negligible vapor pressure, good electrochemical property and high solubility of CO2. According to literatures, ionic liquid could efficiently reduce the overpotential of the electrochemical reduction of CO2. Currently, there are many studies on the electrochemical reduction of CO2 using ionic liquids as electrolytes or electrocatalysts. The specific applications of ionic liquids on the electrochemical reduction of CO2 are reorganized in this chapter. © 2017 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.Ionic Liquids: Electrochemistry, Uses and Challenge