1
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Zi X, Zhou Y, Zhu L, Chen Q, Tan Y, Wang X, Sayed M, Pensa E, Geioushy RA, Liu K, Fu J, Cortés E, Liu M. Breaking K + Concentration Limit on Cu Nanoneedles for Acidic Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction to Multi-Carbon Products. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309351. [PMID: 37639659 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) to multi-carbon products (C2+ ) in acidic electrolyte is one of the most advanced routes for tackling our current climate and energy crisis. However, the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the poor selectivity towards the valuable C2+ products are the major obstacles for the upscaling of these technologies. High local potassium ions (K+ ) concentration at the cathode's surface can inhibit proton-diffusion and accelerate the desirable carbon-carbon (C-C) coupling process. However, the solubility limit of potassium salts in bulk solution constrains the maximum achievable K+ concentration at the reaction sites and thus the overall acidic CO2 RR performance of most electrocatalysts. In this work, we demonstrate that Cu nanoneedles induce ultrahigh local K+ concentrations (4.22 M) - thus breaking the K+ solubility limit (3.5 M) - which enables a highly efficient CO2 RR in 3 M KCl at pH=1. As a result, a Faradaic efficiency of 90.69±2.15 % for C2+ (FEC2+ ) can be achieved at 1400 mA.cm-2 , simultaneous with a single pass carbon efficiency (SPCE) of 25.49±0.82 % at a CO2 flow rate of 7 sccm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zi
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yajiao Zhou
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Li Zhu
- Nanoinstitut München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539, München, Germany
| | - Qin Chen
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yao Tan
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Xiqing Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Mahmoud Sayed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 63514, Egypt
| | - Evangelina Pensa
- Nanoinstitut München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539, München, Germany
| | - Ramadan A Geioushy
- Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, CMRDI P.O. Box: 87, Helwan, 11421, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Kang Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Junwei Fu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Emiliano Cortés
- Nanoinstitut München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539, München, Germany
| | - Min Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, P. R. China
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2
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Abstract
Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to valuable chemicals and fuels driven by renewable energy plays a crucial role in achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Understanding the structure-activity relationship and the reaction mechanism is significant for tuning electrocatalyst selectivity. Therefore, characterizing catalyst dynamic evolution and reaction intermediates under reaction conditions is necessary but still challenging. We first summarize the most recent progress in mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous CO2/CO reduction using in situ/operando techniques, including surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopies, X-ray- and electron-based techniques, and mass spectroscopy, along with discussing remaining limitations. We then offer insights and perspectives to accelerate the future development of in situ/operando techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjorn Hasa
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA;
| | - Yaran Zhao
- BNU-HKUST Laboratory of Green Innovation, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Feng Jiao
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA;
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3
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Hou J, Chang X, Li J, Xu B, Lu Q. Correlating CO Coverage and CO Electroreduction on Cu via High-Pressure in Situ Spectroscopic and Reactivity Investigations. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22202-22211. [PMID: 36404600 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The absolute coverage of CO has been a missing piece in the mechanistic puzzle of the CO reduction reaction (CORR) on Cu. For the first time, we revealed the upper bound of the CO coverage under electrocatalytic conditions to be 0.05 monolayer at atmospheric pressure and the saturation CO coverage to be ∼0.25 monolayer by conducting surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy at CO pressures up to 60 barg in a custom-designed spectroelectrochemical cell. CORR activities on Cu were also determined in the same pressure range. Calculated reaction orders of C2+ products with respect to adsorbed CO are substantially less than unity, clearly indicating that the coupling of adsorbed CO is not the rate-determining step leading to multicarbon products. The increase in CO coverage can reduce the C affinity on the Cu surface and favor the selectivity towards oxygenates, especially acetate, over ethylene. Uncommon products, including ethane, glycolaldehyde, and ethylene glycol, were detected in appreciable amounts, likely due to a new C-C coupling mechanism taking place at elevated CO pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
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4
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Fundamental aspects in CO2 electroreduction reaction and solutions from in situ vibrational spectroscopies. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s1872-2067(22)64095-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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5
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Li J, Li C, Hou J, Gao W, Chang X, Lu Q, Xu B. Intercepting Elusive Intermediates in Cu-Mediated CO Electrochemical Reduction with Alkyl Species. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:20495-20506. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chunsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiajie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wenqiang Gao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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6
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Chang X, Vijay S, Zhao Y, Oliveira NJ, Chan K, Xu B. Understanding the complementarities of surface-enhanced infrared and Raman spectroscopies in CO adsorption and electrochemical reduction. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2656. [PMID: 35551449 PMCID: PMC9098881 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30262-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In situ/operando surface enhanced infrared and Raman spectroscopies are widely employed in electrocatalysis research to extract mechanistic information and establish structure-activity relations. However, these two spectroscopic techniques are more frequently employed in isolation than in combination, owing to the assumption that they provide largely overlapping information regarding reaction intermediates. Here we show that surface enhanced infrared and Raman spectroscopies tend to probe different subpopulations of adsorbates on weakly adsorbing surfaces while providing similar information on strongly binding surfaces by conducting both techniques on the same electrode surfaces, i.e., platinum, palladium, gold and oxide-derived copper, in tandem. Complementary density functional theory computations confirm that the infrared and Raman intensities do not necessarily track each other when carbon monoxide is adsorbed on different sites, given the lack of scaling between the derivatives of the dipole moment and the polarizability. Through a comparison of adsorbed carbon monoxide and water adsorption energies, we suggest that differences in the infrared vs. Raman responses amongst metal surfaces could stem from the competitive adsorption of water on weak binding metals. We further determined that only copper sites capable of adsorbing carbon monoxide in an atop configuration visible to the surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy are active in the electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction reaction. Infrared and Raman spectroscopies are often assumed to provide similar insights into heterogeneous reaction mechanisms. This study shows that these techniques provide similar data when CO is strongly bound to a surface, yet distinct subpopulations of CO are probed when binding is weaker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Chang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China.,Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- CatTheory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Yaran Zhao
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Nicholas J Oliveira
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Karen Chan
- CatTheory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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7
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Yang B, Liu K, Li H, Liu C, Fu J, Li H, Huang JE, Ou P, Alkayyali T, Cai C, Duan Y, Liu H, An P, Zhang N, Li W, Qiu X, Jia C, Hu J, Chai L, Lin Z, Gao Y, Miyauchi M, Cortés E, Maier SA, Liu M. Accelerating CO 2 Electroreduction to Multicarbon Products via Synergistic Electric-Thermal Field on Copper Nanoneedles. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:3039-3049. [PMID: 35112839 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c11253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising way to mitigate CO2 emissions and close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. Among products from CO2RR, multicarbon chemicals, such as ethylene and ethanol with high energy density, are more valuable. However, the selectivity and reaction rate of C2 production are unsatisfactory due to the sluggish thermodynamics and kinetics of C-C coupling. The electric field and thermal field have been studied and utilized to promote catalytic reactions, as they can regulate the thermodynamic and kinetic barriers of reactions. Either raising the potential or heating the electrolyte can enhance C-C coupling, but these come at the cost of increasing side reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we present a generic strategy to enhance the local electric field and temperature simultaneously and dramatically improve the electric-thermal synergy desired in electrocatalysis. A conformal coating of ∼5 nm of polytetrafluoroethylene significantly improves the catalytic ability of copper nanoneedles (∼7-fold electric field and ∼40 K temperature enhancement at the tips compared with bare copper nanoneedles experimentally), resulting in an improved C2 Faradaic efficiency of over 86% at a partial current density of more than 250 mA cm-2 and a record-high C2 turnover frequency of 11.5 ± 0.3 s-1 Cu site-1. Combined with its low cost and scalability, the electric-thermal strategy for a state-of-the-art catalyst not only offers new insight into improving activity and selectivity of value-added C2 products as we demonstrated but also inspires advances in efficiency and/or selectivity of other valuable electro-/photocatalysis such as hydrogen evolution, nitrogen reduction, and hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baopeng Yang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Kang Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - HuangJingWei Li
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Changxu Liu
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Junwei Fu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Jianan Erick Huang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Pengfei Ou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Tartela Alkayyali
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Chao Cai
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yuxia Duan
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Hui Liu
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Pengda An
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Wenzhang Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Xiaoqing Qiu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Chuankun Jia
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Junhua Hu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Liyuan Chai
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Zhang Lin
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yongli Gao
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Masahiro Miyauchi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Emiliano Cortés
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Stefan A Maier
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany.,Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Min Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physical and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
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8
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Electrolyzer and Catalysts Design from Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide Electrochemical Reduction. ELECTROCHEM ENERGY R 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41918-021-00100-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Zhong D, Zhao Z, Zhao Q, Cheng D, Liu B, Zhang G, Deng W, Dong H, Zhang L, Li J, Li J, Gong J. Coupling of Cu(100) and (110) Facets Promotes Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Hydrocarbons and Alcohols. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202015159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dazhong Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization Yingze West Street 79 Taiyuan 030024 Shanxi China
| | - Zhi‐Jian Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization Yingze West Street 79 Taiyuan 030024 Shanxi China
| | - Dongfang Cheng
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Gong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Wanyu Deng
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Hao Dong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Jingkun Li
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Jinping Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization Yingze West Street 79 Taiyuan 030024 Shanxi China
| | - Jinlong Gong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Weijin Road 92 Tianjin 300072 China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University International Campus of Tianjin University Binhai New City Fuzhou 350207 China
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10
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Zhong D, Zhao ZJ, Zhao Q, Cheng D, Liu B, Zhang G, Deng W, Dong H, Zhang L, Li J, Li J, Gong J. Coupling of Cu(100) and (110) Facets Promotes Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Hydrocarbons and Alcohols. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:4879-4885. [PMID: 33231928 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202015159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Copper can efficiently electro-catalyze carbon dioxide reduction to C2+ products (C2 H4 , C2 H5 OH, n-propanol). However, the correlation between the activity and active sites remains ambiguous, impeding further improvements in their performance. The facet effect of copper crystals to promote CO adsorption and C-C coupling and consequently yield a superior selectivity for C2+ products is described. We achieve a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 87 % and a large partial current density of 217 mA cm-2 toward C2+ products on Cu(OH)2 -D at only -0.54 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode in a flow-cell electrolyzer. With further coupled to a Si solar cell, record-high solar conversion efficiencies of 4.47 % and 6.4 % are achieved for C2 H4 and C2+ products, respectively. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the selective formation of C2+ products on Cu and paves the way for the practical application of electrocatalytic or solar-driven CO2 reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhong Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China.,College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization, Yingze West Street 79, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China
| | - Zhi-Jian Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization, Yingze West Street 79, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China
| | - Dongfang Cheng
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Gong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wanyu Deng
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jingkun Li
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jinping Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Gas Energy Efficient and Clean Utilization, Yingze West Street 79, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China
| | - Jinlong Gong
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China.,Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, China
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11
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Malkani AS, Anibal J, Chang X, Xu B. Bridging the Gap in the Mechanistic Understanding of Electrocatalysis via In Situ Characterizations. iScience 2020; 23:101776. [PMID: 33294785 PMCID: PMC7689167 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrocatalysis offers a promising strategy to take advantage of the increasingly available and affordable renewable energy for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. Attaining this promise requires a molecular level insight of the electrical interface that can be used to tailor the selectivity of electrocatalysts. Addressing this selectivity challenge remains one of the most important areas in modern electrocatalytic research. In this Perspective, we focus on the use of in situ techniques to bridge the gap in the fundamental understanding of electrocatalytic processes. We begin with a brief discussion of traditional electrochemical techniques, ex situ measurements and in silico analysis. Subsequently, we discuss the utility and limitations of in situ methodologies, with a focus on vibrational spectroscopies. We then end by looking ahead toward promising new areas for the application of in situ techniques and improvements to current methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnav S. Malkani
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Jacob Anibal
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Bingjun Xu
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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12
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Chang X, Zhao Y, Xu B. pH Dependence of Cu Surface Speciation in the Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c03108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Chang
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Yaran Zhao
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Bingjun Xu
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Malkani AS, Li J, Oliveira NJ, He M, Chang X, Xu B, Lu Q. Understanding the electric and nonelectric field components of the cation effect on the electrochemical CO reduction reaction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/45/eabd2569. [PMID: 33158873 PMCID: PMC7673714 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd2569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Electrolyte cations affect the activity of surface-mediated electrocatalytic reactions; however, understanding the modes of interaction between cations and reaction intermediates remains lacking. We show that larger alkali metal cations (excluding the thickness of the hydration shell) promote the electrochemical CO reduction reaction on polycrystalline Cu surfaces in alkaline electrolytes. Combined reactivity and in situ surface-enhanced spectroscopic investigations show that changes to the interfacial electric field strength cannot solely explain the reactivity trend with cation size, suggesting the presence of a nonelectric field strength component in the cation effect. Spectroscopic investigations with cation chelating agents and organic molecules show that the electric and nonelectric field components of the cation effect could be affected by both cation identity and composition of the electrochemical interface. The interdependent nature of interfacial species indicates that the cation effect should be considered an integral part of the broader effect of composition and structure of the electrochemical interface on electrode-mediated reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Malkani
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - J Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - N J Oliveira
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - M He
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - X Chang
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - B Xu
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
| | - Q Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Gunathunge CM, Li J, Li X, Waegele MM. Surface-Adsorbed CO as an Infrared Probe of Electrocatalytic Interfaces. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c03316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charuni M. Gunathunge
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Jingyi Li
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Matthias M. Waegele
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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Gunathunge CM, Li J, Li X, Hong JJ, Waegele MM. Revealing the Predominant Surface Facets of Rough Cu Electrodes under Electrochemical Conditions. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b05532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charuni M. Gunathunge
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Jingyi Li
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Julie J. Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Matthias M. Waegele
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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Zhao Y, Chang X, Malkani AS, Yang X, Thompson L, Jiao F, Xu B. Speciation of Cu Surfaces During the Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:9735-9743. [PMID: 32338904 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c02354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cu-catalyzed selective electrocatalytic upgrading of carbon dioxide/monoxide to valuable multicarbon oxygenates and hydrocarbons is an attractive strategy for combating climate change. Despite recent research on Cu-based catalysts for the CO2 and CO reduction reactions, surface speciation of the various types of Cu surfaces under reaction conditions remains a topic of discussion. Herein, in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is employed to investigate the speciation of four commonly used Cu surfaces, i.e., Cu foil, Cu micro/nanoparticles, electrochemically deposited Cu film, and oxide-derived Cu, at potentials relevant to the CO reduction reaction in an alkaline electrolyte. Multiple oxide and hydroxide species exist on all Cu surfaces at negative potentials, however, the speciation on the Cu foil is distinct from that on micro/nanostructured Cu. The surface speciation is demonstrated to correlate with the initial degree of oxidation of the Cu surface prior to the exposure to negative potentials. Combining reactivity and spectroscopic results on these four types of Cu surfaces, we conclude that the oxygen containing surface species identified by Raman spectroscopy are unlikely to be active in facilitating the formation of C2+ oxygenates in the CO reduction reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaran Zhao
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Arnav S Malkani
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Xuan Yang
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Levi Thompson
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Feng Jiao
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Bingjun Xu
- Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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