Selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene on a copper hydroxide nitrate nanostructure electrode

Abstract

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO₂ RR) is a promising technology to convert CO₂ into valuable carbon-based fuels and chemicals. Copper (Cu) is a unique catalyst for this reaction as it yields substantial hydrocarbon products, but still suffers from low selectivity in aqueous solution. Here, we present a nanostructure Cu@Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ electrode using a facile molten salt decomposition method (MSDM). Both XPS and XRD data indicate that Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ is converted into metallic Cu when employed in CO₂ electroreduction in KHCO₃ solution, leaving abundant defects on the dendritic rough surface. Benefiting from the defects and rough surface, this electrode exhibited a high selectivity for C₂H₄ production with a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 31.80% and a high stability for 20 h.