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Building of Amorphous CuxO With Cu─O─Si Interface for CO2 Reduction to C2+ Products
Huan He1, Pengfei Yan1, Jiayao Fu1
1Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Amorphous copper oxide nanoparticles in silica offer enhanced stability for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. This novel catalyst improves C2+ selectivity and current density, outperforming traditional copper catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Amorphous copper-based catalysts show potential for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO2RR).
- Structure stability of amorphous CuOx is crucial for high efficiency and durability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate stable amorphous CuOx nanoparticles embedded in mesoporous silica (CuOx@mSiO2).
- To investigate the role of the Cu-O-Si interface in modulating catalytic performance for eCO2RR.
Main Methods:
- Modified Stöber method for synthesizing CuOx@mSiO2.
- In situ electrochemical pre-reduction.
- Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) testing.
Main Results:
- The Cu-O-Si interface suppresses over-reduction and modifies Cu electronic structure.
- Amorphous CuOx facilitates lattice oxygen-anchoring of intermediates, promoting C2+ products.
- CuOx@mSiO2-0.4 achieved 40.1% C2+ Faradaic efficiency and -10.8 mA∙cm-2 partial current density.
- Catalyst maintained stability for over 9 hours.
Conclusions:
- CuOx@mSiO2 demonstrates superior performance and stability for eCO2RR compared to crystalline CuO.
- The engineered interface and amorphous structure are key to enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity.
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