Nitrogen Dopant Induced Highly Selective and Durable CO₂ Electroreduction into Formate on the In₂O₃ Surface

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is limited by inactive and unstable active sites at high current densities.
• Developing efficient and stable catalysts is crucial for practical CO2RR applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and investigate nitrogen-doped In2O3 as a catalyst for electrochemical CO2 reduction.
• To enhance catalyst activity, selectivity, and stability for formate production.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nitrogen-doped In2O3.
• Electrochemical characterization in a flow cell setup.
• Analysis of catalytic performance including Faradaic efficiency and partial current density.

Main Results:

• Nitrogen-doped In2O3 achieved 97.6% formate Faradaic efficiency at 390.6 mA cm-2.
• The catalyst maintained >90% formate efficiency for over 20 hours at 200 mA cm-2.
• Nitrogen doping facilitated electron transfer, improved CO2•− intermediate adsorption, and promoted formate production.

Conclusions:

• Nitrogen doping enhances the activity and stability of In2O3 for electrochemical CO2 reduction.
• The catalyst design offers a promising pathway for efficient formate production at high current densities.
• Understanding the doping mechanism provides insights for developing advanced CO2RR catalysts.