Ligand-engineering Cu-based catalysts to accelerate the electrochemical reduction of CO₂

Two typical Cu-based complex catalysts with piperazine (PR) and p-phenylenediamine (pPDA) ligands were designed to elucidate whether the ligands can tailor the reduction behavior of the Cu species and thus modulate their electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (eCO₂RR) activity. Specifically, Cu-PR underwent a significant in situ transformation into Cu nanoparticles enriched with a Cu^δ+/Cu⁰ interface for high eCO₂RR activity, compared to Cu-pPDA. This finding reveals the importance of ligand engineering in modulating the eCO₂RR performance of Cu-based complexes.