Building a *CO/Cu(I)-Enriched Local Microenvironment for Enhanced CO₂ Electroreduction with Superior Ethylene...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C2H4 is a promising sustainable technology.
• Developing stable, active electrocatalysts with high C2H4 selectivity is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and investigate a novel tandem nanocatalyst for efficient CO2 electroreduction to C2H4.
• To understand the synergistic effects of Ni and Cu sites in the catalyst structure.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a Ni-Cu tandem nanocatalyst (Ni5wt%Cu(TA)2).
• Electrochemical characterization including Faradaic efficiency and current density measurements.
• In situ surface characterizations and theoretical calculations.

Main Results:

• The Ni5wt%Cu(TA)2 catalyst achieved 70.07% C2H4 Faradaic efficiency at 211.43 mA cm-2.
• Ni introduction facilitated CO2 conversion, CO migration, and formation of Cu(I) active sites.
• Synergistic effects promoted C-C coupling for enhanced C2H4 production.

Conclusions:

• The Ni-Cu tandem nanocatalyst demonstrates exceptional stability and activity for CO2 electroreduction to C2H4.
• The study provides insights into designing catalysts with a CO/Cu(I)-enriched microenvironment for multicarbon electrosynthesis.
• This work advances CO2 utilization strategies through efficient catalytic pathways.