Efficient electroreduction of CO to acetate using a metal-azolate framework with dicopper active sites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) to value-added products is crucial for carbon neutrality and energy solutions.
• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (eCORR) is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel metal-azolate framework (CuBpz) with dicopper active sites for eCORR.
• To investigate the catalytic performance and stability of CuBpz for CO reduction.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of the CuBpz metal-azolate framework.
• Electrochemical evaluation of CuBpz for CO reduction, including Faradaic efficiency and stability tests.
• Mechanistic studies to elucidate the reaction pathway.

Main Results:

• CuBpz achieved a high Faradaic efficiency of 47.8% for acetate production at -200 mA cm⁻².
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent stability, with no obvious degradation over 60 hours of continuous operation.
• Mechanism studies indicated that dicopper sites promote C-C coupling of C₁ intermediates.

Conclusions:

• CuBpz serves as an effective electrocatalyst for the electrochemical CO reduction reaction.
• The dicopper active sites are crucial for promoting C-C coupling, leading to acetate formation.
• This work presents a promising material for sustainable CO utilization.