Kinetics of CO2 reduction in KOH/methanol electrolyte on Pb electrode

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 on a Pb electrode was investigated in 0.1 mol/L KOH/methanol electrolyte at different temperatures and pressures. A graphite electrode was employed as the counter electrode, and an AglAgCl ( sat. KCl) electrode was used as the reference electrode. The Tafel plots of the products by the electrochemical reduction of CO2 showed that the formation process of HCOOH differed from that of CO and the reduction of CO2 was not limited by the diffusion of CO2 in the investigated potential range. Kinetic analysis indicated that the reaction orders were 0.573 for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO and 0. 671 for CO2 to HCOOH in the cathodic direction.