Turning copper into an efficient and stable CO evolution catalyst beyond noble metals

Jing Xue, Xue Dong, Chunxiao Liu, Jiawei Li, Yizhou Dai, Weiqing Xue, Laihao Luo, Yuan Ji, Xiao Zhang, Xu Li, Qiu Jiang, Tingting Zheng, Jianping Xiao () and Chuan Xia ()
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Jing Xue: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xue Dong: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chunxiao Liu: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jiawei Li: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yizhou Dai: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Weiqing Xue: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Laihao Luo: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yuan Ji: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiao Zhang: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom
Xu Li: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Qiu Jiang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Tingting Zheng: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jianping Xiao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chuan Xia: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Using renewable electricity to convert CO2 into CO offers a sustainable route to produce a versatile intermediate to synthesize various chemicals and fuels. For economic CO2-to-CO conversion at scale, however, there exists a trade-off between selectivity and activity, necessitating the delicate design of efficient catalysts to hit the sweet spot. We demonstrate here that copper co-alloyed with isolated antimony and palladium atoms can efficiently activate and convert CO2 molecules into CO. This trimetallic single-atom alloy catalyst (Cu92Sb5Pd3) achieves an outstanding CO selectivity of 100% (±1.5%) at −402 mA cm−2 and a high activity up to −1 A cm−2 in a neutral electrolyte, surpassing numerous state-of-the-art noble metal catalysts. Moreover, it exhibits long-term stability over 528 h at −100 mA cm−2 with an FECO above 95%. Operando spectroscopy and theoretical simulation provide explicit evidence for the charge redistribution between Sb/Pd additions and Cu base, demonstrating that Sb and Pd single atoms synergistically shift the electronic structure of Cu for CO production and suppress hydrogen evolution. Additionally, the collaborative interactions enhance the overall stability of the catalyst. These results showcase that Sb/Pd-doped Cu can steadily carry out efficient CO2 electrolysis under mild conditions, challenging the monopoly of noble metals in large-scale CO2-to-CO conversion.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50436-4

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