Toward Durable CO₂ Electroreduction with Cu-Based Catalysts via Understanding Their Deactivation Modes

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction (CO2ER) converts waste CO2 into valuable chemicals.
• Copper (Cu) is a key catalyst for CO2ER, producing multicarbon products like ethylene and ethanol.
• Cu catalyst performance degrades over time due to surface property alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize the deactivation modes of copper-based CO2ER catalysts.
• To provide fundamental insights into catalyst degradation mechanisms.
• To suggest strategies for enhancing catalyst durability.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of deactivation factors into generalized modes applicable to electrocatalytic systems.
• Detailed discussion of the principles and effects of each deactivation mode.
• Analysis of structure- and composition-activity relationships using in situ/operando characterization data.

Main Results:

• Identified and categorized generalized deactivation modes for Cu-based CO2ER catalysts.
• Provided evidence for deactivation modes through structure- and composition-activity relationships.
• Highlighted the impact of surface property changes on catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• Understanding deactivation modes is crucial for improving Cu catalyst durability in CO2ER.
• Catalyst design and reaction environment engineering are proposed solutions.
• Further research on CO2ER catalyst longevity is essential for sustainable chemical production.