Coconut Husk-Derived Biochar for Enhancing Electrochemical Conversion of CO2

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) is a versatile technology that can produce a wide variety of carbon-based molecules. Coupled with renewable electricity, CO2RR can be a sustainable approach for chemical production. As the global population increases, wastes produced from agricultural food sources are also increasing. In order to improve the sustainability of food production, waste materials, such as coconut husks (CH), should be upcycled as much as possible. In this study, we demonstrate the utilization of CH-derived biochar as part of an electrode material for CO2RR. Specifically, we employ the prepared biochar to improve the conductivity of the electrode and thus the performance of CO2 electrolysis to produce CO. Furthermore, CH-derived biochar has been prepared under different pyrolysis temperatures to investigate the effect of biochar fabrication condition on the performance of the catalytic electrode. Through a life cycle assessment, the sustainability of the CH-derived biochar is evaluated as compared to available electrode materials that utilize fossil fuel-derived carbon materials.