Tailoring the Pore Size, Basicity, and Binding Energy of Mesoporous C N for CO Capture and Conversion.

We investigated the CO adsorption and electrochemical conversion behavior of triazole-based C N nanorods as a single matrix for consecutive CO capture and conversion. The pore size, basicity, and binding energy were tailored to identify critical factors for consecutive CO capture and conversion over carbon nitrides. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) analysis of CO demonstrates that triazole-based C N shows higher basicity and stronger CO binding energy than g-C N . Triazole-based C N nanorods with 6.1 nm mesopore channels exhibit better CO adsorption than nanorods with 3.5 and 5.4 nm mesopore channels. C N nanorods with wider mesopore channels are effective in increasing the current density as an electrocatalyst during the CO reduction reaction. Triazole-based C N nanorods with tailored pore sizes exhibit CO adsorption abilities of 5.6-9.1 mmol/g at 0 °C and 30 bar. Their Faraday efficiencies for reducing CO to CO are 14-38% at a potential of -0.8 V vs. RHE.