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Updated: Apr 21, 2026
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Gadolinium-Enhanced Bismuth Cathode for High-Performance CO2-to-Formate Conversion Across Electrochemical and
Cunxin Hu1, Siting Zheng1, Wei Han1
1Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Control, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Pollutants Control and Resource Utilization and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
A novel gadolinium-doped bismuth catalyst (Gd-Bi@C) efficiently converts carbon dioxide (CO2) to formate. This catalyst shows high stability and applicability in both electrochemical and bioelectrochemical systems for carbon utilization.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion is vital for carbon cycling and energy storage.
- Developing highly active, selective, and stable catalysts remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a rare-earth-regulated catalyst for efficient CO2 conversion.
- To investigate the catalyst's performance in electrochemical and bioelectrochemical systems.
Main Methods:
- A one-step hydrothermal process was used to synthesize carbon-encapsulated gadolinium-doped bismuth (Gd-Bi@C).
- Electrocatalytic performance was evaluated in a flow cell.
- In situ characterization techniques were employed.
- The catalyst's applicability was tested in a Zn-CO2 battery and a microbial electrolysis coupled CO2 reduction system (MEC-CO2).
Main Results:
- Gd-Bi@C achieved 95.58% formate Faradaic efficiency at -1.1 V vs RHE.
- The catalyst demonstrated stable operation for over 170 h at high current densities (>400 mA cm-2).
- Gadolinium doping optimized bismuth's electronic structure, promoting formate intermediate formation and suppressing hydrogen evolution.
- The catalyst achieved a peak power density of 2.166 mW cm-2 in a Zn-CO2 battery and sustained 12.40 ± 2.20 A m-2 in MEC-CO2.
Conclusions:
- Gd-Bi@C offers a promising solution for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 to formate conversion.
- The catalyst exhibits broad applicability across electrochemical and bioelectrochemical systems.
- This work provides an integrated material platform for multi-scenario carbon utilization and energy storage.
