Issue 11, 2021

Is Cu instability during the CO2 reduction reaction governed by the applied potential or the local CO concentration?

Abstract

Cu-based catalysts have shown structural instability during the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, studies on monometallic Cu catalysts do not allow a nuanced differentiation between the contribution of the applied potential and the local concentration of CO as the reaction intermediate since both are inevitably linked. We first use bimetallic Ag-core/porous Cu-shell nanoparticles, which utilise nanoconfinement to generate high local CO concentrations at the Ag core at potentials at which the Cu shell is still inactive for the CO2RR. Using operando liquid cell TEM in combination with ex situ TEM, we can unequivocally confirm that the local CO concentration is the main source for the Cu instability. The local CO concentration is then modulated by replacing the Ag-core with a Pd-core which further confirms the role of high local CO concentrations. Product quantification during CO2RR reveals an inherent trade-off between stability, selectivity and activity in both systems.

Graphical abstract: Is Cu instability during the CO2 reduction reaction governed by the applied potential or the local CO concentration?

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
31 okt 2020
Accepted
26 jan 2021
First published
27 jan 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 4028-4033

Is Cu instability during the CO2 reduction reaction governed by the applied potential or the local CO concentration?

P. Wilde, P. B. O'Mara, J. R. C. Junqueira, T. Tarnev, T. M. Benedetti, C. Andronescu, Y. Chen, R. D. Tilley, W. Schuhmann and J. J. Gooding, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 4028 DOI: 10.1039/D0SC05990K

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