Enhanced Active Hydrogen Absorption and Stabilized Cu(I) Species Over Cu-O-Ce Bridges Boosting Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Ethylene
Graphical Abstract
The as-synthesized CuxO–CeO2 composites exhibit enhanced Faradaic efficiency and partial current density of C2H4 compared with Cu2O cubes. In situ spectroscopies and theoretical calculations confirm that the Cu–O–Ce bridges in CuxO–CeO2 composite can effectively enhance *H absorption and stabilize Cu(I) species, facilitating subsequent C–C coupling and further protonation into the key *COCHO intermediate of C2H4.
Abstract
Rational design of water activation center to promote active hydrogen (*H) generation and stabilize Cu(I) species are significant for the formation of multicarbon (C2+) products over Cu-based catalysts in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, CeO2 nanograins and CuO nanothorns were selectively deposited on the edges of Cu2O cubes through the seed-mediated growth method. The as-synthesized CuxO–CeO2 composites exhibit enhanced Faradaic efficiency and partial current density of C2H4 compared with Cu2O cubes. In situ spectroscopies and theoretical calculations confirm that the Cu–O–Ce bridges in CuxO–CeO2 composite can effectively enhance *H absorption and stabilize Cu(I) species, facilitating subsequent C–C coupling and further protonation into the key *COCHO intermediate of C2H4. This work provides new insights into modulating *H absorption and stabilizing Cu(I) species for boosting CO2 to C2+ products.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
