Zeolite-confined Cu single-atom clusters stably catalyse CO to acetate at 1 A cm^-2 beyond 1,000 h

The electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR) has attracted a surge of research interest in sustainably producing high-value multi-carbon products, such as acetate. Nevertheless, most current CORR catalysts exhibit low acetate current densities, poor longevity and limited acetate selectivity. Here we present a Zeolite Socony Mobil-confined Cu single-atom cluster (CuZSM SACL) for CORR, in which Cu SAs are chemically anchored via robust Cu-O-Si bonds while Cu CLs are physically trapped within the porous framework of zeolite cavities. Consequently, the CuZSM SACL-containing membrane electrode assembly enables a remarkable CO-to-acetate current density of 1.8 A cm^-2 with a high acetate Faraday efficiency of 71 ± 3%. More importantly, we demonstrate that the Cu-based membrane electrode assembly can stably catalyse CO to acetate at an industrial current density of 1 A cm^-2 at 2.7 V (Faraday efficiency 61 ± 5%) beyond 1,000 h at atmospheric pressure. This milestone sheds light on high-performing Cu-type catalysts for practical CORR applications.