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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Manipulating C-C coupling pathway in electrochemical CO2 reduction for selective ethylene and ethanol production over
Shifu Wang1,2, Fuhua Li3,4, Jian Zhao2
1Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Manipulation C-C coupling pathway is of great importance for selective CO2 electroreduction but remain challenging. Herein, two model Cu-based catalysts, by modifying Cu nanowires with Ag nanoparticles (AgCu NW) and Ag single atoms (Ag1Cu NW), respectively, are rationally designed for exploring the C-C coupling mechanisms in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Compared to AgCu NW, the Ag1Cu NW exhibits a more than 10-fold increase of C2 selectivity in CO2 reduction to ethanol, with ethanol-to-ethylene ratio increased from 0.41 over AgCu NW to 4.26 over Ag1Cu NW. Via a variety of operando/in-situ techniques and theoretical calculation, the enhanced ethanol selectivity over Ag1Cu NW is attributed to the promoted H2O dissociation over the atomically dispersed Ag sites, which effectively accelerated *CO hydrogenation to form *CHO intermediate and facilitated asymmetric *CO-*CHO coupling over paired Cu atoms adjacent to single Ag atoms. Results of this work provide deep insight into the C-C coupling pathways towards target C2+ product and shed light on the rational design of efficient CO2RR catalysts with paired active sites.
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