▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Carbon dioxide (CO2) is reduced to form greater than or equal to 1 alcohol by (a) contacting electrode system with aqueous solution comprising greater than or equal to 1 electrolyte and CO2, where electrode system comprises working electrode comprising base electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode, and coating of a composite comprising graphene nanosheets and copper oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles disposed on a surface of the base electrode; and (b) applying a negative potential to the working electrode to reduce CO2 and form the alcohol. USE - Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to form greater than or equal to 1 alcohol. ADVANTAGE - With the composite functioning as an electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction, the cathode coated with a low amount of the composite advantageously converts CO2 to alcohols, preferably ethanol, with a high faradaic efficiency and a high current density at a low reduction potential as compared to other electrocatalyst modified electrodes. Graphene is used as a catalyst support due to its unique properties, such as high surface area and high electron mobility, which enhance the catalytic performance of the Cu2O nanoparticles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for: (1) electrode system comprising working electrode comprising base electrode and coating of a composite comprising graphene nanosheets and Cu2O nanoparticles disposed on a surface of the base electrode, where the composite has a weight ratio of graphene nanosheets to Cu2O nanoparticles of 0.2-0.8, counter electrode, and reference electrode; and (2) manufacture of working electrode of electrode system which involves (i) reacting graphene oxide with greater than or equal to 1 copper(II) (Cu2+) salt in the presence of greater than or equal to 1 hydroxylamine, and/or greater than or equal to 1 salt of hydroxylamine, and/or greater than or equal to 1 substituted derivative of hydroxylamine and greater than or equal to 1 surfactant in an alkaline aqueous solution to form precipitate comprising the composite comprising graphene nanosheets and Cu2O nanoparticles, (ii) suspending precipitate in a dispersing media to form a dispersion comprising the composite, (iii) depositing the dispersion on the surface of the base electrode to form a wet coating of the composite, and (iv) drying the wet coating of the composite to form the coating of the composite comprising graphene nanosheets and Cu2O nanoparticles disposed on the surface of the base electrode.