Regulation of H⁺ transfer pathways promotes C-C coupling in acidic CO₂ electroreduction

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis
• Materials Science

Background:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction in acidic media faces challenges with hydrogen evolution and low multi-carbon selectivity.
• Developing efficient catalysts for acidic conditions is crucial for CO2 utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cooperative catalytic strategy for highly selective multi-carbon formation from CO2 reduction in acidic media.
• To investigate the mechanism of proton activation and interfacial solvation in the catalytic process.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a hybrid catalyst using copper oxide nanosheets and immobilized cobalt porphyrin.
• Electrochemical characterization including Faradaic efficiency and partial current densities.
• Operando spectroscopic analyses and theoretical calculations.

Main Results:

• Achieved up to 89.5% multi-carbon Faradaic efficiency at high current densities (>1 A cm-2) in pH 2 electrolyte.
• Maintained high selectivity at pH 0.7.
• Demonstrated suppression of hydrogen evolution through synergistic catalysis.

Conclusions:

• The cooperative catalytic strategy effectively regulates proton activation and interfacial solvation for efficient CO2 electroreduction to multi-carbon products in acidic media.
• This approach offers a viable route for advanced CO2 utilization under challenging acidic conditions.