Revealing the structural evolution of CuAg composites during electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction

Di Wang, Hyun Dong Jung, Shikai Liu, Jiayi Chen, Haozhou Yang, Qian He (), Shibo Xi (), Seoin Back () and Lei Wang ()
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Di Wang: National University of Singapore
Hyun Dong Jung: Sogang University
Shikai Liu: National University of Singapore
Jiayi Chen: National University of Singapore
Haozhou Yang: National University of Singapore
Qian He: National University of Singapore
Shibo Xi: Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Seoin Back: Sogang University
Lei Wang: National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Comprehending the catalyst structural evolution during the electrocatalytic process is crucial for establishing robust structure/performance correlations for future catalysts design. Herein, we interrogate the structural evolution of a promising Cu-Ag oxide catalyst precursor during electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction. By using extensive in situ and ex situ characterization techniques, we reveal that the homogenous oxide precursors undergo a transformation to a bimetallic composite consisting of small Ag nanoparticles enveloped by thin layers of amorphous Cu. We believe that the amorphous Cu layer with undercoordinated nature is responsible for the enhanced catalytic performance of the current catalyst composite. By tuning the Cu/Ag ratio in the oxide precursor, we find that increasing the Ag concentration greatly promotes liquid products formation while suppressing the byproduct hydrogen. CO2/CO co-feeding electrolysis and isotopic labelling experiments suggest that high CO concentrations in the feed favor the formation of multi-carbon products. Overall, we anticipate the insights obtained for Cu-Ag bimetallic systems for CO electroreduction in this study may guide future catalyst design with improved performance.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49158-4

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