Copper nanoparticle interspersed MoS₂ nanoflowers with enhanced efficiency for CO₂ electrochemical reduction to fuel

Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been considered as an ideal method to simultaneously solve the energy crisis and environmental issue around the world. In this work, ultrasmall Cu nanoparticle interspersed flower-like MoS₂ was successfully fabricated via a facile microwave hydrothermal method. The designed optimal hierarchical Cu/MoS₂ composite not only exhibited remarkably enhanced electronic conductivity and specific surface area but also possessed improved CO₂ adsorption capacity, resulting in a significant increase in overall faradaic efficiency and a 7-fold augmentation of the faradaic efficiency of CH₄ in comparison with bare MoS₂. In addition, the Cu/MoS₂ composite had superior stability with high efficiency retained for 48 h in the electrochemical process. It is anticipated that the designed Cu/MoS₂ composite electrocatalyst may provide new insights for transition metal sulfides and non-noble particles applied to CO₂ reduction.