Direct time-resolved observation of surface-bound carbon dioxide radical anions on metallic nanocatalysts

Time-resolved identification of surface-bound intermediates on metallic nanocatalysts is imperative to develop an accurate understanding of the elementary steps of CO₂ reduction. Direct observation on initial electron transfer to CO₂ to form surface-bound CO₂^•- radicals is lacking due to the technical challenges. Here, we use picosecond pulse radiolysis to generate CO₂^•- via aqueous electron attachment and observe the stabilization processes toward well-defined nanoscale metallic sites. The time-resolved method combined with molecular simulations identifies surface-bound intermediates with characteristic transient absorption bands and distinct kinetics from nanosecond to the second timescale for three typical metallic nanocatalysts: Cu, Au, and Ni. The interfacial interactions are further investigated by varying the important factors, such as catalyst size and the presence of cation in the electrolyte. This work highlights fundamental ultrafast spectroscopy to clarify the critical initial step in the CO₂ catalytic reduction mechanism.