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Spin Polarization Enhanced Ethanol Selectivity in Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction on the Paramagnetic CuO Surface
Fujun Tao1,2, Jianxin Wang1,2, Jiayi Xu2
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|May 7, 2026
Summary
A magnetic field significantly boosted electrochemical CO2 reduction to C2+ products by 30% using a CuO/Cu catalyst. This magnetic field enhancement improved ethanol selectivity, offering a promising pathway for carbon utilization.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
Background:
- Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) is crucial for carbon utilization.
- Developing efficient catalysts for selective CO2 reduction remains a challenge.
- The influence of external magnetic fields on catalytic reactions is an emerging area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of a moderate external magnetic field on the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction.
- To explore the catalytic performance of a paramagnetic and conductive CuO/Cu interface.
- To understand the mechanism behind magnetic field-induced selectivity enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical CO2 reduction in a flow cell electrolyzer using a CuO/Cu catalyst.
- Application of an external magnetic field (∼800 gauss).
- In situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for intermediate analysis.
- Computational studies to investigate reaction kinetics.
Main Results:
- A ∼30% increase in CO2-to-C2+ Faradaic efficiency (FE) was observed with the magnetic field.
- At 400 mA/cm2, CO2-to-C2+ FE reached 86.7% with 47.9% energy efficiency (EE), compared to 67.6% FE and 36.4% EE without the field.
- Ethanol production showed a significantly higher magnetic field response (∼55.6% FE increase) than ethylene (∼6.4% FE increase).
- SERS confirmed magnetic-field-enhanced *CO coverage and C2 intermediates, indicating spin-modulated pathway selection.
Conclusions:
- An external magnetic field can significantly enhance the efficiency and selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction over a CuO/Cu catalyst.
- The enhanced ethanol selectivity is attributed to a reduced reaction kinetic barrier under the magnetic field.
- This work demonstrates a novel approach for tuning catalytic pathways through spin polarization for improved carbon utilization.
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