Ultrastable Implanting-Structured Catalyst for Long-Lasting Acidic CO₂ Electrolysis with Industrial-Level Current...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Acidic electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) offers high CO2 utilization but faces catalyst degradation and self-reduction issues in corrosive electrolytes.
• Developing stable catalysts is crucial for efficient and long-term CO2RR in acidic media.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize an ultrastable implanting-structured catalyst for acidic CO2RR.
• To investigate the catalyst's mechanism for preventing degradation and self-reduction.
• To evaluate the catalyst's performance in terms of efficiency, current density, and stability.

Main Methods:

• A novel stepwise seed-directed crystallization technique was used to create Bi2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated within zeolite crystals.
• The catalyst's structure was designed to inhibit nanoparticle dissolution, detachment, agglomeration, and reshaping.
• An electron shielding effect was induced via strong metal oxide-support interaction to prevent Bi2O3 self-reduction.

Main Results:

• The implanting-structured catalyst achieved a maximum HCOOH Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 99% and a partial current density of 865 mA cm-2.
• Extraordinary stability was demonstrated, with FE exceeding 94% for 500 hours in strongly acidic media.
• The catalyst design effectively prevented self-reduction and controlled nanoparticle size for high-density active sites.

Conclusions:

• The novel implanting-structured catalyst offers a promising solution for ultrastable and efficient acidic CO2 electrolysis.
• This work opens new avenues for designing robust catalysts for challenging electrochemical applications.
• The developed catalyst design can be applied to other catalytic systems requiring high stability in harsh environments.