2025/03/11 by Jiayi Chen, Juan Manuel Arce‐Ramos, Ioannis Katsounaros +5 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Energy · Engineering · #CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts #Advanced battery technologies research #Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/smm2.70010
openalex publication_date 2025/03/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic CO reduction (COR) offers a promising alternative approach for synthesizing valuable chemicals, potentially at a lower carbon intensity as compared to conventional chemical production. Cu‐based catalysts have shown encouraging selectivity and activity toward multi‐carbon (C 2+ ) products, albeit typically in the form of a mixture. Steering COR selectivity toward specific types of C 2+ products, such as liquid products with high energy density, remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a Cu/Zn bimetallic catalyst composite and demonstrated enhanced selectivity toward liquid products as compared to reference CuO and Cu‐based catalysts, approaching 60% at a high current density of 300 mA/cm 2 . Our investigation highlights that the introduction of Zn promoted the emergence of a Cu/Zn heterojunction interface during COR. Density functional theory simulations were used to rationalize the observed differences in selectivity, revealing that interface plays a crucial role in diminishing the oxygen adsorption at the Cu‐sites and modifying the adsorption energy of COR reaction intermediates, consequently leading to enhanced selectivity toward liquid products.