Self-supported bimetallic array superstructures for high-performance coupling electrosynthesis of formate and...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Electrosynthesis of CO2 and organic molecules is crucial for sustainable energy and environmental management.
• Developing efficient catalysts for simultaneous formate and adipate production remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct self-supported bimetallic array superstructures for high-performance coupling electrosynthesis.
• To enable efficient and simultaneous conversion of CO2 to formate at the anode and cyclohexanone to adipate at the cathode.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Cu(OH)2 array precursor and its conversion to bimetallic array superstructures (CuBi alloy and CuNi hydroxide).
• Electrochemical characterization including cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry.
• Analysis of faradaic efficiencies (FEs) for CO2-to-formate and cyclohexanone-to-adipate conversion.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous faradaic efficiencies exceeding 90% for both formate and adipate production were achieved.
• The CuBi alloy cathode and CuNi hydroxide anode superstructures demonstrated excellent stability.
• Cell voltage was substantially reduced compared to conventional electrolysis, with maximal FEs of 94.2% for formate and 93.1% for adipate.

Conclusions:

• The developed bimetallic array superstructures facilitate efficient coupling electrosynthesis.
• Bimetal composition effectively modulates electronic structures, promoting targeted product formation.
• This work offers a strategy for designing advanced superstructures for efficient electrosynthesis.