Synergized Cu/Pb Core/Shell Electrocatalyst for High-Efficiency CO₂ Reduction to C₂₊ Liquids

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient electrocatalysts are vital for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added products.
• Copper-based (Cu-based) catalysts are promising for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and investigate synergistic effects in Cu/Pb core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) for enhanced CO2RR.
• To improve the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 conversion to C2+ products.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Cu/Pb core/shell nanocrystals with a 0.7 nm Pb shell (CuPb-0.7/C).
• Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) testing in a flow cell system.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

• CuPb-0.7/C NCs exhibited a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 81.6% for total C2+ products.
• Achieved 49.5% selectivity for C2+ liquid products with a current density of 196.8 mA cm-2.
• DFT calculations revealed reduced formation energies for key intermediates (*COOH and *OCCOH).

Conclusions:

• The synergistic interaction between Cu core and ultrathin Pb shell significantly enhances CO2RR performance.
• Cu/Pb core/shell NCs offer a promising pathway for efficient CO2 conversion to C2+ liquid products.
• This work underscores the importance of synergistic effects in designing advanced electrocatalysts for CO2 utilization.