Issue 25, 2022

In situ probing the dynamic reconstruction of copper–zinc electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Abstract

Unravelling the dynamic characterization of electrocatalysts during the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a critical factor to improve the production efficiency and selectivity, since most pre-electrocatalysts undergo structural reconstruction and surface rearrangement under working conditions. Herein, a series of pre-electrocatalysts including CuO, ZnO and two different ratios of CuO/ZnO were systematically designed by a sputtering process to clarify the correlation of the dynamic characterization of Cu sites in the presence of Zn/ZnO and the product profile. The evidence provided by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicated that appropriate Zn/ZnO levels could induce a variation in the coordination number of Cu sites via reversing Ostwald ripening. Specifically, the recrystallized Cu site with a lower coordination number exhibited a preferential production of methane (CH4). More importantly, our findings provide a promising approach for the efficient production of CH4 by in situ reconstructing Cu-based binary electrocatalysts.

Graphical abstract: In situ probing the dynamic reconstruction of copper–zinc electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Kul 2022
Accepted
02 Kho 2022
First published
02 Kho 2022

Nanoscale, 2022,14, 8944-8950

In situ probing the dynamic reconstruction of copper–zinc electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Y. Huang, C. Tung, T. Chen, C. Hsu, M. Liao, H. Chen and H. M. Chen, Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 8944 DOI: 10.1039/D2NR01478E

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