Confinement-Stabilized High-Valent Indium for pH-Universal Electrocatalytic CO₂ Reduction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Achieving carbon neutrality requires efficient carbon dioxide reduction (CO2) and biomass valorization.
• Developing advanced catalysts is crucial for high-value chemical synthesis from CO2.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance electrocatalytic CO2 reduction activity and selectivity using a novel catalyst structure.
• To achieve simultaneous electrosynthesis of formate in both cathode and anode compartments.
• To explore the catalytic mechanism through computational analysis.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nitrogen-carbon (NC) layer confined indium oxide (In2O3) nanoparticles.
• Electrochemical CO2 reduction and formaldehyde oxidation experiments.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate electronic interactions.

Main Results:

• The NC layer confinement significantly improved formate selectivity and catalytic stability of In2O3.
• Simultaneous electrosynthesis of formate was achieved in both cathode and anode compartments.
• DFT calculations revealed electronic interactions stabilizing active In species.

Conclusions:

• The NC layer confined In2O3 catalyst offers an efficient approach for formate electrosynthesis.
• Coupling CO2 reduction with biomass valorization reactions is a viable strategy for sustainable chemical production.
• This work demonstrates the importance of catalyst interfacial engineering for enhanced electrochemical performance.