Nitrogen-doped carbon layer thickness modulates the Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interface for selective and stable CO₂ electroreduction...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Copper-based catalysts are key for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR) to valuable C2+ products.
• Achieving high selectivity and stability in CO2RR remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel N-doped carbon-coated copper (Cu0/Cu+@C-N) core-shell catalysts for enhanced CO2RR.
• To investigate the role of the carbon shell in protecting active copper species and improving catalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of N-doped carbon-coated copper catalysts with a core-shell structure.
• Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) experiments.
• Characterization of catalyst structure and composition.

Main Results:

• The Cu0/Cu+@C-N catalysts exhibited improved selectivity and stability in CO2RR.
• Adjusting the carbon layer thickness protected the active Cu+ species from reduction without hindering CO2 adsorption/activation.
• The catalysts demonstrated potential for energy-efficient electro-synthesis of ethylene.

Conclusions:

• N-doped carbon coating effectively regulates the restructuring of copper catalysts during CO2RR.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for reducing energy consumption and enhancing energy efficiency in industrial CO2 electro-synthesis.
• The study provides insights into designing advanced catalysts for CO2 conversion.