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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Dodecanol-Regulated Dynamic Reconstruction of Cu2O Superparticles Enables Selective Ampere-Level CO2 Electroreduction
Shuran Yao1, Lihua Zhu1,2, Ting Han3
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Copper-based catalysts are promising for converting CO2 to multicarbon (C2+) products toward carbon neutrality, yet their industrial deployment is hindered by difficulty maintaining high selectivity at high current densities. Here, 1-dodecanol-functionalized Cu2O superparticles (D-Cu2O-SP) were synthesized via a wet chemical method, achieving a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 79.8% for C2+ products and a C2+ partial current density of 992 mA cm-2. Characterizations revealed that 1-dodecanol modification plays a dual role: stabilizing crucial *CO intermediates to enhance surface coverage and regulating D-Cu2O-SP reconstruction to promote selective exposure of Cu (100) facets. The electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) increased to nearly 1.5 times that of pristine Cu2O superparticles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that dodecanol modification lowers the energy barrier for asymmetric C-C coupling between *CO and *CHO intermediates. This work provides a feasible strategy for designing industrial-grade electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity while offering theoretical insights into the C2+ formation mechanism.
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