Topological Duality: Constructing High-Nuclearity Metal Clusters with Unleashed Active Sites for Efficient and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Precise control of active sites in metal nanoclusters (MNCs) is crucial for advancing CO2 electroreduction.
• Developing high-nuclearity MNCs with balanced stability and active-site exposure remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a
• topological-duality-driven
• strategy for constructing high-nuclearity MNCs.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of a novel Cu24Ag54 nanocluster for CO2 electroreduction.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a high-nuclearity Cu24Ag54 nanocluster with a unique nested structure (octahedral {Cu24} shell, double-truncated cubic {Ag54} core).
• Electrochemical evaluation of the Cu24Ag54 nanocluster for CO2 electroreduction.
• In-situ studies to elucidate the catalytic mechanism and stability.

Main Results:

• The Cu24Ag54 nanocluster exhibited exceptional CO2 electroreduction performance: ~98% Faradaic efficiency for CO, >100 h stability, and high current densities (750 mA cm-2).
• The nested structure and enhanced electron delocalization contribute to superior catalyst durability.
• A 50% reduction in the energy barrier for *COOH formation was observed due to facilitated electron transfer and delocalization.

Conclusions:

• The topological-duality-driven strategy is effective for designing advanced MNC catalysts.
• The Cu24Ag54 nanocluster represents a significant advancement in CO2 electroreduction catalysts, offering high efficiency and stability.
• This work highlights the potential of topological geometries in developing next-generation catalysts for industrial applications.