Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
Published on: November 7, 2025
Controlled Tip Curvature of CuSiO3 Promotes C-C Coupling for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to C2 Products
Xin Wang1, Longsheng Lai1, Yimin Zheng1
1School of Physics and Materials Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Electroreduction of CO2 to multicarbon products offers a promising strategy to carbon neutrality, yet practical application is hindered by sluggish C-C coupling kinetics and competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). To overcome these challenges, we propose a controllable synthesis method for tailoring the CuSiO3 tip curvature, which manipulates the local electric field to regulate the C-C coupling barrier and suppress HER, thereby enhancing product selectivity. In particular, the high tip curvature catalyst (HC-CuSiO3-1) exhibits a strong tip-enhanced electric field and stable hydrophobicity, achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 96.2% for C2 products at -0.55 V. Via a variety of in situ techniques and theoretical calculation, the enhanced C2 selectivity over HC-CuSiO3-1 is attributed to the promotion of CO2 adsorption and activation to form the *CHO intermediate, which facilitates subsequent asymmetric *COCHO coupling. This work provides insight into C-C coupling pathways and guides the rational design of local electric field enhanced electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.
Related Concept Videos
Spin–Spin Coupling: Three-Bond Coupling (Vicinal Coupling)
The extent of coupling depends on the C‑C bond length, the two H‑C‑C angles, any electron-withdrawing substituents, and the dihedral angle between the involved orbitals. The...
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview
[3,3] Sigmatropic Rearrangement of 1,5-Dienes: Cope Rearrangement
Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility

