Achieving the Widest Range of Syngas Proportions at High Current Density over Cadmium Sulfoselenide Nanorods in CO2 Electroreduction

Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 into Syngas by N-Modified NiSb Nanowires

Carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) provides a promising method for syngas synthesis. However, it is challenging to balance the CO2RR activity and hydrogen (H2)/carbon monoxide (CO) ratios due to the limited mass transport and inefficient catalytic interface. Herein, we adopt a nitrogen (N)-modification method to synthesize N-modified nickel antimony nanowires (N-NiSb NWs/C), which are efficient for producing syngas with controllable H2/CO ratios. Significantly, the optimized N-NiSb NWs/C, with boosted electrochemical CO2RR activity, have the flexibility to control H2/CO ratios in syngas from nearly 1 to 4 in a wide potential range. The mechanistic discussion shows that the electronic structure of NiSb NWs/C can be optimized by using the synergistic effect between Ni and Sb, as well as the reasonable surface modification, so that a controllable syngas can be obtained. Our design provides an ideal platform for generating syngas with widely controllable H2/CO ratios.

Plasma-Driven Efficient Conversion of CO2 and H2O into Pure Syngas with Controllable Wide H2/CO Ratios over Metal-Organic Frameworks Featuring In Situ Evolved Ligand Defects

While the mild production of syngas (a mixture of H2 and CO) from CO2 and H2O is a promising alternative to the coal-based chemical engineering technologies, the inert nature of CO2 molecules, unfavorable splitting pathways of H2O and unsatisfactory catalysts lead to the challenge in the difficult integration of high CO2 conversion efficiency with produced syngas with controllable H2/CO ratios in a wide range. Herein, we report an efficient plasma-driven catalytic system for mild production of pure syngas over porous metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts with rich confined H2O molecules, where their syngas production capacity is regulated by the in situ evolved ligand defects and the plasma-activated intermediate species of CO2 molecules. Specially, the Cu-based catalyst system achieves 61.9 % of CO2 conversion and the production of pure syngas with wide H2/CO ratios of 0.05 : 1-4.3 : 1. As revealed by the experimental and theoretical calculation results, the in situ dynamic structure evolution of Cu-containing MOF catalysts favors the generation of coordinatively unsaturated metal active sites with optimized geometric and electronic characteristics, the adsorption of reactants, and the reduced energy barriers of syngas-production potential-determining steps of the hydrogenation of CO2 to *COOH and the protonation of H2O to *H.

Crystalline CdS/Amorphous Cd(OH)2 Composite for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to CO in a Wide Potential Window

Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising method for converting atmospheric CO2 into valuable low-carbon chemicals. In this study, a crystalline cadmium sulfide/amorphous cadmium hydroxide composite was successfully deposited on the carbon paper substrate surface by in-situ chemical bath deposition (named as c-CdS/a-Cd(OH)2/CP electrodes) for the efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction to produce CO. The c-CdS/a-Cd(OH)2/CP electrode exhibited high CO Faradaic efficiencies (>90 %) under a wide potential window of 1.0 V, with the highest value reaching ~100 % at the applied potential ranging from -2.16 V to -2.46 V vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc+), superior to the crystalline counterpart c-CdS/CP and c-CdS/c-Cd(OH)2@CP electrodes. Meanwhile, the CO partial current density reached up to 154.7 mA cm-2 at -2.76 V vs. Fc/Fc+ on the c-CdS/a-Cd(OH)2/CP electrode. The excellent performance of this electrode was mainly ascribed to its special three-dimensional structure and the introduction of a-Cd(OH)2. These structures could provide more active sites, accelerate the charge transfer, and enhance adsorption of *COOH intermediates, thereby improving the CO selectivity. Moreover, the electrolytes consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and acetonitrile also enhanced the reaction kinetics of electrochemical CO2 reduction to CO.

Selective CO2 -to-Syngas Conversion Enabled by Bimetallic Gold/Zinc Sites in Partially Reduced Gold/Zinc Oxide Arrays

Electrocatalytic CO2 -to-syngas (gaseous mixture of CO and H2 ) is a promising way to curb excessive CO2 emission and the greenhouse gas effect. Herein, we present a bimetallic AuZn@ZnO (AuZn/ZnO) catalyst with high efficiency and durability for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 and H2 O, which enables a high Faradaic efficiency of 66.4 % for CO and 26.5 % for H2 and 3 h stability of CO2 -to-syngas at -0.9 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The CO/H2 ratios show a wide range from 0.25 to 2.50 over a narrow potential window (-0.7 V to -1.1 V vs. RHE). In situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy combined with density functional theory calculations reveals that the bimetallic synergistic effect between Au and Zn sites lowers the activation energy barrier of CO2 molecules and facilitates electronic transfer, further highlighting the potential to control CO/H2 ratios for efficient syngas production using the coexisting Au sites and Zn sites.

Electrocatalytic activity of CO2 reduction to CO on cadmium sulfide enhanced by chloride anion doping

The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (ECR) to produce valuable fuel is a promising process for addressing atmospheric CO2 emissions and energy shortages. In this study, Cl-anion doped cadmium sulfide structures were directly fabricated on a nickel foam surface (Cl/CdS-NF) using an in situ hydrothermal method. The Cl-anion doping could significantly improve ECR activity for CO production in ionic liquid and acetonitrile mixed solution, compared to pristine CdS. The highest Faradaic efficiency of CO is 98.1 % on a Cl/CdS-NF-2 cathode with an excellent current density of 137.0 mA cm-2 at -2.25 V versus ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc+ , all potentials are versus Fc/Fc+ in this study). In particular, CO Faradaic efficiencies remained above 80 % in a wide potential range of -2.05 V to -2.45 V and a maximum partial current density (192.6 mA cm-2 ) was achieved at -2.35 V. The Cl/CdS-NF-2, with appropriate Cl anions, displayed abundant active sites and a suitable electronic structure, resulting in outstanding ECR activity. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrated that Cl/CdS is beneficial for increasing the adsorption capacities of *COOH and *H, which can enhance the activity of the ECR toward CO and suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Molecular Engineering of Cation Solvation Structure for Highly Selective Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction

Balancing the activation of H2 O is crucial for highly selective CO2 electroreduction (CO2 RR), as the protonation steps of CO2 RR require fast H2 O dissociation kinetics, while suppressing hydrogen evolution (HER) demands slow H2 O reduction. We herein proposed one molecular engineering strategy to regulate the H2 O activation using aprotic organic small molecules with high Gutmann donor number as a solvation shell regulator. These organic molecules occupy the first solvation shell of K+ and accumulate in the electrical double layer, decreasing the H2 O density at the interface and the relative content of proton suppliers (free and coordinated H2 O), suppressing the HER. The adsorbed H2 O was stabilized via the second sphere effect and its dissociation was promoted by weakening the O-H bond, which accelerates the subsequent *CO2 protonation kinetics and reduces the energy barrier. In the model electrolyte containing 5 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an additive (KCl-DMSO-5), the highest CO selectivity over Ag foil increased to 99.2 %, with FECO higher than 90.0 % within -0.75 to -1.15 V (vs. RHE). This molecular engineering strategy for cation solvation shell can be extended to other metal electrodes, such as Zn and Sn, and organic molecules like N,N-dimethylformamide.

Nanograin-Boundary-Abundant Cu2O-Cu Nanocubes with High C2+ Selectivity and Good Stability during Electrochemical CO2 Reduction at a Current Density of 500 mA/cm2

Surface and interface engineering, especially the creation of abundant Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfaces and nanograin boundaries, is known to facilitate C₂₊ production during electrochemical CO₂ reductions over copper-based catalysts. However, precisely controlling the favorable nanograin boundaries with surface structures (e.g., Cu(100) facets and Cu[n(100)×(110)] step sites) and simultaneously stabilizing Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfaces is challenging, since Cu⁺ species are highly susceptible to be reduced into bulk metallic Cu at high current densities. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the structure evolution of the Cu-based catalysts under realistic CO₂RR conditions is imperative, including the formation and stabilization of nanograin boundaries and Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfaces. Herein we demonstrate that the well-controlled thermal reduction of Cu₂O nanocubes under a CO atmosphere yields a remarkably stable Cu₂O-Cu nanocube hybrid catalyst (Cu₂O(CO)) possessing a high density of Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfaces, abundant nanograin boundaries with Cu(100) facets, and Cu[n(100)×(110)] step sites. The Cu₂O(CO) electrocatalyst delivered a high C₂₊ Faradaic efficiency of 77.4% (56.6% for ethylene) during the CO₂RR under an industrial current density of 500 mA/cm². Spectroscopic characterizations and morphological evolution studies, together with in situ time-resolved attenuated total reflection-surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) studies, established that the morphology and Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfacial sites in the as-prepared Cu₂O(CO) catalyst were preserved under high polarization and high current densities due to the nanograin-boundary-abundant structure. Furthermore, the abundant Cu⁰/Cu⁺ interfacial sites on the Cu₂O(CO) catalyst acted to increase the *CO adsorption density, thereby increasing the opportunity for C-C coupling reactions, leading to a high C₂₊ selectivity.

Favoring Product Desorption by a Tailored Electronic Environment of Oxygen Vacancies in SrTiO3 via Cr Doping for Enhanced and Selective Electrocatalytic CO2 to CO Conversion

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (ECO₂RR) into value-added products is crucial to address the herculean task of CO₂ mitigation. Several efforts are being made to develop active ECO₂RR catalysts, targeting enhanced CO₂ adsorption and activation. A rational design of ECO₂RR catalysts with a facile product desorption step is seldom reported. Herein, ensuing the Sabatier principle, we report a strategy for an enhanced ECO₂RR with a faradaic efficiency of 85% for CO production by targeting the product desorption step. The energy barrier for product desorption was lowered via a tailored electronic environment of oxygen vacancies (O_vac) in Cr-doped SrTiO₃. The substitutional doping of Cr³⁺ for Ti⁴⁺ into the SrTiO₃ lattice favors the generation of more O_vac and modifies the local electronic environment. Density functional theory analysis evinces the spontaneous dissociation of COOH^# intermediates over O_vac and lower CO intermediate binding on O_vac reducing the energy demand for CO release due to Cr doping.

Ultrathin Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Encapsulated Ni Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction and Aqueous Zn-CO2 Batteries

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂ RR), powered by renewable electricity, has attracted great attention for producing high value-added fuels and chemicals, as well as feasibly mitigating CO₂ emission problem. Here, this work reports a facile hard template strategy to prepare the Ni@N-C catalyst with core-shell structure, where nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) are encapsulated by thin nitrogen-doped carbon shells (N-C shells). The Ni@N-C catalyst has demonstrated a promising industrial current density of 236.7 mA cm^-2 with the superb FE_CO of 97% at -1.1 V versus RHE. Moreover, Ni@N-C can drive the reversible Zn-CO₂ battery with the largest power density of 1.64 mW cm^-2 , and endure a tough cycling durability. These excellent performances are ascribed to the synergistic effect of Ni@N-C that Ni NPs can regulate the electronic microenvironment of N-doped carbon shells, which favor to enhance the CO₂ adsorption capacity and the electron transfer capacity. Density functional theory calculations prove that the binding configuration of N-C located on the top of Ni slabs (Top-Ni@N-C) is the most thermodynamically stable and possess a lowest thermodynamic barrier for the formation of COOH^* and the desorption of CO. This work may pioneer a new method on seeking high-efficiency and worthwhile electrocatalysts for CO₂ RR and Zn-CO₂ battery.

Amorphization-Activated Copper Indium Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Stable Syngas Production from Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂ RR) refers to the conversion of carbon dioxide into compounds with added value through electrolysis. It is still a great challenge to design and manufacture efficient CO₂ RR catalysts for desired products. Producing syngas via CO₂ RR is an environmentally friendly way to reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere and the dependence on fossil fuels. Herein, a new class of Cu/In₂ O₃ nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled phases and structures were successfully prepared as superior electrocatalysts for CO₂ RR, where the CO/H₂ ratios in syngas on Cu/In₂ O₃ NPs/C-H₂ remained about 1 : 2 at a broad potential range and the total faradaic efficiency of H₂ and CO always remained about 90 %. Electronic structural analysis revealed that the excellent performance was attributed to the electronic interaction between amorphous In₂ O₃ and Cu. This work broadens the horizons for designing and preparing fascinating electrocatalysts for CO₂ RR.

Revealing the Real Role of Etching during Controlled Assembly of Nanocrystals Applied to Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

In recent years, the use of inexpensive and efficient catalysts for the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) to regulate syngas ratios has become a hot research topic. Here, a series of nitrogen-doped iron carbide catalysts loaded onto reduced graphene oxide (N-Fe₃C/rGO-H) were prepared by pyrolysis of iron oleate, etching, and nitrogen-doped carbonization. The main products of the N-Fe₃C/rGO-H electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ are CO and H₂, when tested in a 0.5 M KHCO₃ electrolyte at room temperature and pressure. In the prepared catalysts, the high selectivity (the Faraday efficiency of CO was 40.8%, at −0.3 V), and the total current density reaches ~29.1 mA/cm² at −1.0 V as demonstrated when the mass ratio of Fe₃O₄ NPs to rGO was equal to 100, the nitrogen doping temperature was 800 °C and the ratio of syngas during the reduction process was controlled by the applied potential (−0.2~−1.0 V) in the range of 1 to 20. This study provides an opportunity to develop nonprecious metals for the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction preparation of synthesis and gas provides a good reference

Tuning Reaction Pathways of Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 by Growing Pd Shells on Ag Nanocubes

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) has been studied on Ag, Pd, Ag@Pd_1-2L nanocubes using a combination of in situ characterization and density functional theory calculations. By manipulating the deposition and diffusion rates of Pd atoms on Ag nanocubes, Ag@Pd core-shell nanocubes with a shell thickness of 1-2 atomic layers have been successfully synthesized for CO₂RR. Pd nanocubes produce CO with high selectivity due to the transformation of Pd to Pd hydride (PdH) during CO₂RR. In contrast, PdH formation becomes more difficult in Ag@Pd_1-2L core-shell nanocubes, which inhibits CO production from the *HOCO intermediate and thus tunes the reaction pathway toward HCOOH. Ag nanocubes exhibit high selectivity toward H₂, and there is no phase transition during CO₂RR. The results demonstrate that the CO₂RR reaction pathways can be manipulated through engineering the surface structure of Pd-based catalysts by allowing or preventing the formation of PdH.

Single Ni active sites with a nitrogen and phosphorus dual coordination for an efficient CO2 reduction

Transition metal single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as a research hotspot in CO₂RRs. However, tuning the electronic configuration of a metal single-atom by employing new heteroatoms still remains a challenge. Herein, a carbon matrix loaded with a N and P co-coordinated Ni single-atom (denoted as Ni-NPC) was prepared for an efficient CO₂RR. XANES and EXAFS were conducted to explore the coordination environment and charge distribution of the Ni-NPC catalyst. DFT calculations indicated that the Ni atom gained electrons from the P atom, and the Ni-NPC sample had a decreased energy barrier of +0.97 eV after doping with P atoms, which was favorable to overcome the limiting-step bottleneck for promoting CO₂RR. Due to the rich Ni atomic active sites and superior P-doping effect, Ni-NPC exhibited a maximum FE_CO of 92% with a high current density of 22.6 mA cm^-2 at -0.8V vs. RHE, which was far superior to those of NC, NPC and Ni-NC catalysts. Moreover, both the FE_CO and current density of the Ni-NPC catalyst remained stable for more than 16 h at -0.8 V vs. RHE, indicating a high stability for long-term CO₂RR experiments.

Defective Bimetallic Selenides for Selective CO2 Electroreduction to CO

CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂ RR) to CO is promising for the carbon cycle but still remains challenging. Au is regarded as the most selective catalyst for CO₂ RR, but its high cost significantly hinders its industrial application. Herein, the bimetallic CuInSe₂ is found to exhibit an Au-like catalytic feature: i) the interaction of Cu and In orbitals induces a moderate adsorption strength of CO₂ RR intermediates and favors the reaction pathway; and ii) the hydrogen evolution is energetically unfavorable on CuInSe₂ , as a surface reconstruction along with high energy change will occur after hydrogen adsorption. Furthermore, the Se vacancy is found to induce an electron redistribution, slightly tune the band structure, and optimize the CO₂ RR route of bimetallic selenide. Consequently, the Se-defective CuInSe₂ (V-CuInSe₂ ) achieves a highly selective CO production ability that is comparable to noble metals in aqueous electrolyte, and the V-CuInSe₂ cathode shows a satisfactory performance in an aqueous Zn-CO₂ cell. This work demonstrates that designing cost-effective catalysts with noble-metal-like properties is an ideal strategy for developing efficient electrocatalysts. Moreover, the class of transition bimetallic selenides has shown promising prospects as active and cost-effective electrocatalysts owing to their unique structural, electronic, and catalytic properties.

Electronic structure modulation of bismuth catalysts induced by sulfur and oxygen co-doping for promoting CO2 electroreduction

Carbon dioxide electroreduction into green fuels and value-added chemicals is an attractive method for the utilization of renewable energy to mitigate global warming. High-efficiency catalysts are necessary for mild and...

Engineering CuO-HfO2 interface toward enhanced CO2 electroreduction to C2H4

We report significantly enhanced electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) to C2H4 by tuning the interface of a metal oxide composite (CuOx/HfO2), enabling a C2H4 faradaic efficiency as high as 62.6 +...

Nanoconfinement Engineering over Hollow Multi-Shell Structured Copper towards Efficient Electrocatalytical C-C coupling

Nanoconfinement provides a promising solution to promote electrocatalytic C-C coupling, by dramatically altering the diffusion kinetics to ensure a high local concentration of C₁ intermediates for carbon dimerization. Herein, under the guidance of finite-element method simulations results, a series of Cu₂ O hollow multi-shell structures (HoMSs) with tunable shell numbers were synthesized via Ostwald ripening. When applied in CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂ RR), the in situ formed Cu HoMSs showed a positive correlation between shell numbers and selectivity for C₂₊ products, reaching a maximum C₂₊ Faradaic efficiency of 77.0±0.3 % at a conversion rate of 513.7±0.7 mA cm^-2 in a neutral electrolyte. Mechanistic studies clarified the confinement effect of HoMSs that superposition of Cu shells leads to a higher coverage of localized CO adsorbate inside the cavity for enhanced dimerization. This work provides valuable insights for the delicate design of efficient C-C coupling catalysts.

Hierarchically Porous CuAg via 3D Printing/Dealloying for Tunable CO2 Reduction to Syngas

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a renewable route to produce syngas (CO + H₂), an essential feedstock for liquid fuel production. However, the development of high-performance electrocatalyst with tunable H₂/CO ratio, high-rate syngas production, and long-term electrochemical stability remains challenging. Here, a metal three-dimensional (3D) printing technique followed by dealloying was utilized to develop three-dimensional hierarchical porous (termed as 3D hp) CuAg catalysts for the concurrent generation of CO and H₂. By purposely designing the precursor compositions, the resultant 3D hp CuAg catalysts with a high density of phase-segregated Ag and Cu nanodomains exhibit a tunable H₂/CO ratio from 3:1 to 1:2. Through further porosity engineering, the 3D hp CuAg catalysts show significantly enhanced syngas production rate of 140 μmol/h/cm² and electrochemical stability up to 140 h (which is the highest value reported so far). The remarkable electrochemical stability of the 3D hp CuAg arises from three-level hierarchical porous configurations, wherein the macroporous structure benefits gas bubble growth and detachment, the microporous structure stabilizes the active nanoporous layer, while the nanoporous structure provides a large active surface area and enables efficient mass transfer. The results of this study offer a new vision for the development of hierarchically porous catalysts for CO₂ reduction.

CdS-Enhanced Ethanol Selectivity in Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction at Sulfide-Derived Cu-Cd

The development of Cu-based catalysts for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (eCO₂ RR) is of major interest for generating commercially important C₂ liquid products such as ethanol. Cu is exclusive among the eCO₂ RR metallic catalysts in that it facilitates the formation of a range of highly reduced C₂ products, with a reasonable total faradaic efficiency but poor product selectivity. Here, a series of new sulfide-derived copper-cadmium catalysts (SD-Cu_x Cd_y ) was developed. An excellent faradaic efficiency of around 32 % but with a relatively low current density of 0.6 mA cm^-2 for ethanol was obtained using the SD-CuCd₂ catalyst at the relatively low overpotential of 0.89 V in a CO₂ -saturated aqueous 0.10 m KHCO₃ solution with an H-cell. The current density increased by an order of magnitude under similar conditions using a flow cell where the mass transport rate for CO₂ was greatly enhanced. Ex situ spectroscopic and microscopic, and voltammetric investigations pointed to the role of abundant phase boundaries between CdS and Cu⁺ /Cu sites in the SD-CuCd₂ catalyst in enhancing the selectivity and efficiency of ethanol formation at low potentials.

Efficient Electroconversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formate by a Reconstructed Amino-Functionalized Indium-Organic Framework Electrocatalyst

We report an amino-functionalized indium-organic framework for efficient CO₂ reduction to formate. The immobilized amino groups strengthen the absorption and activation of CO₂ and stabilize the active intermediates, which endow an enhanced catalytic conversion to formate despite the inevitable reduction and reconstruction of the functionalized indium-based catalyst during electrocatalysis. The reconstructed amino-functionalized indium-based catalyst demonstrates a high Faradaic efficiency of 94.4 % and a partial current density of 108 mA cm^-2 at -1.1 V vs. RHE in a liquid-phase flow cell, and also delivers an enhanced current density of ca. 800 mA cm^-2 at 3.4 V for the formate production in a gas-phase flow cell configuration. This work not only provides a molecular functionalization and assembling concept of hybrid electrocatalysts but also offers valuable understandings in electrocatalyst evolution and reactor optimization for CO₂ electrocatalysis and beyond.

Intrinsic Defect-Rich Graphene Coupled Cobalt Phthalocyanine for Robust Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

Carbon-based matrix is known to exert a profound influence on the stability and activity of a supported molecular catalyst for electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (eCO₂RR), while regulating the interfacial π-π interaction by designing functional species on the carbon matrix has seldom been explored. Herein, promoted π electron transfer between a graphene substrate and cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) is achieved by introducing abundant intrinsic defects into graphene (DrGO), which not only generates more electrochemically active Co sites and leads to a positive shift of the Co²⁺/Co⁺ reduction potential but also enhances the CO₂ chemical adsorption. Consequently, as compared to the defect-free counterpart rGO-CoPc, DrGO-CoPc could yield CO with a Faradaic efficiency (FE_CO) higher than 85% in a wide potential range from -0.53 to -0.88 V, and the largest FE_CO and partial CO current density (J_CO) achieve 90.2% and 73.9 mA cm^-2, respectively. More importantly, both FE_CO and J_CO can be dramatically improved when conducting eCO₂RR in an ionic liquid-based electrolyte, for which FE_CO is higher than 90.0% in a wide potential range of 600 mV, with the peak J_CO of up to 113.6 mA cm^-2 in an H-type cell. The excellent eCO₂RR performance of DrGO-CoPc rates itself as one of the best immobilized molecular catalysts.

A Unique Gas-Migration, Trapping, and Emitting Strategy for High-Loading Single Atomic Cd Sites for Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit great potential in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the achievement of obtaining high-loading SACs remains a bottleneck. Herein, we first demonstrate a unique gas-migration, trapping, and emitting strategy for building a kind of Cd-based SAC for CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR). The gas-migration and trapping processes (≤750 °C) endows the material with an ultrahigh Cd loading amount of 30.3 wt %, while the emitting process can facilely modulate the loading amount from 30.3 to 1.4 wt %. For the CO₂RR, the Cd-NC SACs with a loading amount of 18.4 wt % exhibits the maximum Faraday efficiency of 91.4% for CO at -0.728 V. The operando infrared spectroscopy studies prove the presence of main intermediates *COO^-, *COOH, and *CO on Cd-NC-5M SACs during the catalytic process, indicating that the CO₂RR follows the proton-decoupled electron-transfer mechanism. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the Cd-N₄ structure reduces the Gibbs free energy of the rate-determining step (the hydrogenation step of *COOH).

Ni-N-Doped Carbon-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxide Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is eliciting considerable attention in relation to the carbon cycle and carbon neutrality. As for the practical application of CO2RR, the electrocatalyst is a crucial factor, but, even so, designing and synthesizing an excellent catalyst remains a significant challenge. In this paper, the coordination compound of Ni ions and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) was employed as a precursor to modify reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for CO2RR. The textural properties and chemical bonds of as-obtained rGO, N–C–rGO, Ni–rGO, Ni–N–C, and Ni–N–C–rGO materials were investigated in detail, and the role of Ni, N–C, and rGO in the CO2RR were researched and confirmed. Among all the catalysts, the Ni–N–C–rGO showed the optimal catalytic activity and selectivity with a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 and FE(CO)% of 85% at −0.87 V vs. RHE. In addition, there was no obvious decrease in activity for 10 h. Therefore, the Ni–N–C–rGO is a promising catalyst for CO2RR to CO.

Efficient Photocatalytic Extraction of Uranium over Ethylenediamine Capped Cadmium Sulfide Telluride Nanobelts

The photocatalysts for hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) reduction suffered from the low uranium uptake capacity and weak long-wavelength light absorption. Herein, we synthesized the CdS_xTe_1-x nanobelts capped by ethylenediamine (EDA), which provided amino groups as the adsorption sites. With the increase of the Te content, the amino groups on the CdS_xTe_1-x nanobelts decreased because of the variation of the electron density of Cd²⁺, whereas the light adsorption was enhanced due to the narrowed bandgap. In photocatalytic reduction of U(VI), the CdS_0.95Te_0.05-EDA nanobelts exhibited a considerable U(VI) removal ratio of 97.4% with a remarkable equilibrium U(VI) extraction amount on per weight unit of the adsorbent (q_e) of 836 mg/g. The bandgap structure and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra analysis revealed that the optimum photocatalytic activity of CdS_xTe_1-x nanobelts was achieved at a 5% of Te^2- doping, which balanced the factors of amino groups and bandgap. This adsorption-photoreduction process offers an ultrahigh uranium extraction capacity over wide uranium concentrations.

Exfoliated Ultrathin ZnIn2 S4 Nanosheets with Abundant Zinc Vacancies for Enhanced CO2 Electroreduction to Formate

Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) is promising for balancing carbon cycles while producing value-added feedstocks. Herein, ultrathin ZnIn₂ S₄ nanosheets with abundant Zn vacancies are demonstrated for electrochemically reducing CO₂ to formate. Specifically, a partial current density of 245 mA cm^-2 with a near-unity faradaic efficiency of 94 % for formate generation was achieved over the ultrathin ZnIn₂ S₄ nanosheets in a flow cell configuration. Experimental and theoretical results revealed that abundant Zn vacancies in the ultrathin ZnIn₂ S₄ nanosheets with a high electrochemically active surface area synergistically optimized the intermediate binding energy and contributed to the boosted selectivity and activity. This work may provide useful understandings in designing efficient catalysts for selective CO₂ electroreduction.

Electrocatalysis for CO2 conversion: from fundamentals to value-added products

This timely and comprehensive review mainly summarizes advances in heterogeneous electroreduction of CO₂: from fundamentals to value-added products.

Efficient and steady production of 1 : 2 syngas (CO/H2) by simultaneous electrochemical reduction of CO2 and H2O

A guest–host pyrolysis strategy is used to synthesize a Co–C/N_x-based single-site catalyst, featuring excellent electrocatalytic performance for syngas production by electrochemical reduction of CO₂ and H₂O (FE nearly 100%, formation rate 1.08 mol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 1.0 V vs. RHE).

Selective CO2 reduction towards a single upgraded product: a minireview on multi-elemental copper-free electrocatalysts

Electrocatalytic conversion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to liquid fuels or upgraded chemicals is a critical strategy to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. To this end, we urgently need high-performance CO₂ reduction catalysts.

Ordered-Mesoporous-Carbon-Confined Pb/PbO Composites: Superior Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction

CO₂ electroreduction has gained significant interest. However, fabricating cost-effective nonprecious-metal electrocatalysts that can selectively convert CO₂ to a specific product remains highly challenging. Herein, Pb-based materials consisting of Pb⁰ and PbO confined in ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) (Pb/PbO@OMC) were constructed for CO₂ electroreduction to CO. Interestingly, the activity and selectivity of the Pb/PbO@OMC varied with the molar ratio of Pb⁰ /PbO. The material calcined at 800 °C (Pb/PbO@OMC-800) with a Pb⁰ /PbO ratio of 0.58 provided the best result with CO as the only carbon-based product, and the Faradaic efficiency of CO reached 98.3 % at a high current density of 41.3 mA cm^-2 . Detailed studies indicated that Pb⁰ , PbO, and OMC co-operated well to enhance the performance of Pb/PbO@OMC-800, which mainly originated from the good interface between Pb⁰ and PbO, higher electrochemical active surface area, and faster electron transfer to form the CO₂ ^⋅- intermediate.

Decoupling Strategy for Enhanced Syngas Generation from Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction

Photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction into syngas (a mixture of CO and H₂) provides a promising route to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and store intermittent solar energy into value-added chemicals. Design of photoelectrode with high energy conversion efficiency and controllable syngas composition is of central importance but remains challenging. Herein, we report a decoupling strategy using dual cocatalysts to tackle the challenge based on joint computational and experimental investigations. Density functional theory calculations indicate the optimization of syngas generation using a combination of fundamentally distinctive catalytic sites. Experimentally, by integrating spatially separated dual cocatalysts of a CO-generating catalyst and a H₂-generating catalyst with GaN nanowires on planar Si photocathode, we report a record high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 1.88% and controllable syngas products with tunable CO/H₂ ratios (0–10) under one-sun illumination. Moreover, unassisted solar CO₂ reduction with a solar-to-syngas efficiency of 0.63% is demonstrated in a tandem photoelectrochemical cell.

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Combined experimental and theoretical investigations were performed

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A record high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 1.88% was achieved

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The CO/H₂ ratio in the syngas product can be controllably tuned in a wide range

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Unassisted syngas generation was proved in a tandem photoelectrochemical cell

Enhancing the CO2 Electroreduction of Fe/Ni-Pentlandite Catalysts by S/Se Exchange

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 is an attractive strategy towards the mitigation of environmental pollution and production of bulk chemicals as well as fuels by renewables. The bimetallic sulfide Fe4.5 Ni4.5 S8 (pentlandite) was recently reported as a cheap and robust catalyst for electrochemical water splitting, as well as for CO2 reduction with a solvent-dependent product selectivity. Inspired by numerous reports on monometallic sulfoselenides and selenides revealing higher catalytic activity for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) than their sulfide counterparts, the authors investigated the influence of stepwise S/Se exchange in seleno-pentlandites Fe4.5 Ni4.5 S8-Y SeY (Y=1-5) and their ability to act as CO2 reducing catalysts. It is demonstrated that the incorporation of higher equivalents of selenium favors the CO2 RR with Fe4.5 Ni4.5 S4 Se4 revealing the highest activity for CO formation. Under galvanostatic conditions in acetonitrile, Fe4.5 Ni4.5 S4 Se4 generates CO with a Faradaic Efficiency close to 100 % at applied current densities of -50 mA cm-2 and -100 mA cm-2 . This work offers insight into the tunability of the pentlandite based electrocatalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction.

Electrode Materials Engineering in Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction: Energy Input and Conversion Efficiency

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction (ECR) is a promising technology to simultaneously alleviate CO₂ -caused climate hazards and ever-increasing energy demands, as it can utilize CO₂ in the atmosphere to provide the required feedstocks for industrial production and daily life. In recent years, substantial progress in ECR systems has been achieved by the exploitation of various novel electrode materials. The anodic materials and cathodic catalysts that have, respectively, led to high-efficiency energy input and effective heterogenous catalytic conversion in ECR systems are comprehensively reviewed. Based on the differences in the nature of energy sources and the role of materials used at the anode, the fundamentals of ECR systems, including photo-anode-assisted ECR systems and bio-anode-assisted ECR systems, are explained in detail. Additionally, the cathodic reaction mechanisms and pathways of ECR are described along with a discussion of different design strategies for cathode catalysts to enhance conversion efficiency and selectivity. The emerging challenges and some perspective on both anode materials and cathodic catalysts are also outlined for better development of ECR systems.

Fluorine Doped Cagelike Carbon Electrocatalyst: An Insight into the Structure-Enhanced CO Selectivity for CO2 Reduction at High Overpotential

The critical bottleneck of electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) lies in its low efficiency at high overpotential caused by competitive hydrogen evolution. It is challenging to develop an efficient catalyst achieving both high current density and high Faradaic efficiency (FE) for CO₂RR. Herein, we synthesized fluorine-doped cagelike porous carbon (F-CPC) by purposely tailoring its structural properties. The optimized F-CPC possesses large surface area with moderate mesopore and abundant micropores as well as high electrical conductivity. When used as catalyst for CO₂RR, F-CPC exhibits FE of 88.3% for CO at -1.0 V vs RHE with a current density of 37.5 mA·cm ^-2. Experimental results and finite element simulations demonstrate that the excellent CO₂RR performance of F-CPC at high overpotential should be attributed to its structure-enhanced electrocatalytic process stemming from its cagelike morphology.

In Situ Reconstruction of a Hierarchical Sn-Cu/SnOx Core/Shell Catalyst for High-Performance CO2 Electroreduction

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂ RR) to give C₁ (formate and CO) products is one of the most techno-economically achievable strategies for alleviating CO₂ emissions. Now, it is demonstrated that the SnO_x shell in Sn_2.7 Cu catalyst with a hierarchical Sn-Cu core can be reconstructed in situ under cathodic potentials of CO₂ RR. The resulting Sn_2.7 Cu catalyst achieves a high current density of 406.7±14.4 mA cm^-2 with C₁ Faradaic efficiency of 98.0±0.9 % at -0.70 V vs. RHE, and remains stable at 243.1±19.2 mA cm^-2 with a C₁ Faradaic efficiency of 99.0±0.5 % for 40 h at -0.55 V vs. RHE. DFT calculations indicate that the reconstructed Sn/SnO_x interface facilitates formic acid production by optimizing binding of the reaction intermediate HCOO* while promotes Faradaic efficiency of C₁ products by suppressing the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction, resulting in high Faradaic efficiency, current density, and stability of CO₂ RR at low overpotentials.