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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
Intermediate-regulated dynamic restructuring at Ag-Cu biphasic interface enables selective CO2 electroreduction to
Xinyang Gao1, Yongjun Jiang2, Jiyuan Liu3
1Department of Chemistry, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
A bimetallic heterostructure has been shown effective to enhance the multi-carbon (C2+) product selectivity in CO2 electroreduction. Clarifying the interfacial structure under electrolysis and its decisive role in the pathway selection are crucial, yet challenging. Here, we conceive a well-defined Ag-Cu biphasic heterostructure to understand the interfacial structure-steered product selectivity: The Cu-rich interface prefers ethylene, while the dominant product switch to alcohols with an increasing Ag fraction, and finally to CO as Ag occupying the main surface. We unravel a *CO intermediate-regulated interfacial restructuring, and observe abundant of Cu atoms migrating onto the neighboring Ag surface under a locally high *CO concentration. The evolving structure alters the oxyphilic characteristic at the interface, which profoundly determines the hydrogenation energetics of CO2 and ultimately, the dominant C2+ product. This work explicitly links the evolving interfacial structure with distinct C2+ pathway, formulating design guidelines for bimetallic electrocatalysts with selectively enhanced C2+ yields.
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