Pressure regulated CO₂ electrolysis on two-dimensional Bi₂O₂Se

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) is promising for sustainable production and climate change mitigation.
• Current limitations include high catalyst costs, low selectivity, and poor current density.
• Renewable energy integration is key for CO2RR viability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, high-performance catalyst for CO2RR.
• To investigate the effect of pressure on CO2RR performance.
• To elucidate the reaction mechanisms using advanced characterization.

Main Methods:

• Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for synthesizing 2D Bi2O2Se.
• Electrochemical testing to evaluate catalyst performance (Faradaic efficiency, current density).
• In situ Raman spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

• The 2D Bi2O2Se catalyst achieved 47.1% formate Faradaic efficiency at 4649 mA mg-1.
• Performance significantly surpassed bulk Bi2O2Se.
• Increasing CO2 pressure from 1.01 to 40 bar enhanced formate selectivity and current density (up to 7457 mA mg-1).

Conclusions:

• Low-mass-loading 2D Bi2O2Se is a highly effective catalyst for CO2RR.
• High pressure is a critical factor for optimizing CO2RR selectivity and industrial applicability.
• This work demonstrates potential for sustainable CO2 conversion under industrially relevant conditions.