One-Step Phase Separation for Core-Shell Carbon@Indium Oxide@Bismuth Microspheres with Enhanced Activity for CO₂...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to formic acid is crucial for sustainable energy solutions.
• Developing catalysts with high activity, selectivity, and stability remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel core-shell catalyst for enhanced CO2 electroreduction.
• To investigate the structure-performance relationship for CO2 to formic acid conversion.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-microemulsion method was used to integrate bismuth and indium species.
• A one-step phase separation strategy, utilizing melting point differences and the Kirkendall effect, formed the C@In2O3@Bi50 core-shell structure.
• Electrocatalytic performance was evaluated for CO2 reduction to formic acid.

Main Results:

• The C@In2O3@Bi50 catalyst achieved high selectivity (≈90% faradaic efficiency) and partial current density (24.53 mA cm-2 at -1.36 V) for formic acid production.
• The catalyst exhibited long-term stability (up to 14.5 h), outperforming most Bi-based catalysts.
• The core-shell structure stabilized key intermediates and suppressed CO poisoning, enhancing reaction kinetics and stability.

Conclusions:

• The novel C@In2O3@Bi50 core-shell catalyst offers superior performance for CO2 electroreduction to formic acid.
• The hybrid interfaces and unique nanostructure contribute to enhanced selectivity and stability.
• This work provides valuable insights into catalyst design for practical CO2 conversion.