Supported Cu/Ni Bimetallic Cluster Electrocatalysts Boost CO₂ Reduction.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Supported metal clusters offer combined benefits of single-atom catalysts and nanoparticles for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (ECO2R).
• Precise synthesis and understanding of synergistic effects in these catalysts remain challenging.
• ECO2R is crucial for sustainable energy and chemical production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile synthesis method for bimetallic Cu/Ni clusters on porous carbon (Cu/Ni-NC).
• To investigate the enhanced ECO2R performance of the synthesized Cu/Ni-NC.
• To elucidate the synergistic catalytic mechanisms involved.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of bimetallic Cu/Ni clusters anchored on porous carbon.
• Aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) for structural characterization.
• Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) for electronic structure and coordination analysis.
• In situ surface-enhanced Fourier transform infrared spectroelectrochemistry (in situ SEFTIR) for reaction mechanism studies.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Cu/Ni-NC demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance for ECO2R.
• Achieved a stable 30-hour electrolysis at 200 mA cm⁻² with a ~95.1% Faradaic efficiency for CO production.
• Verified metal dispersion and coordination of Cu/Ni clusters on the porous carbon support.

Conclusions:

• The facile synthesis route yields highly dispersed bimetallic Cu/Ni clusters.
• Synergistic effects between Ni and Cu promote H2O dissociation and CO2 hydrogenation.
• The Cu/Ni-NC catalyst shows significant potential for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.