Cu supraparticles with enhanced mass transfer and abundant C-C coupling sites achieving ampere-level CO2-to-C2+ electrosynthesis

Lushan Ma, Hong Liu, Bingbao Mei, Jing Chen, Qingqing Cheng, Jingyuan Ma, Bo Yang, Qiang Li () and Hui Yang ()
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Lushan Ma: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hong Liu: ShanghaiTech University
Bingbao Mei: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jing Chen: Henan University of Technology
Qingqing Cheng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jingyuan Ma: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bo Yang: ShanghaiTech University
Qiang Li: Nanjing University of Science and Technology
Hui Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract The efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction to C2+ products at high current densities remains a significant challenge. Here we show inherently hydrophobic and hierarchically porous Cu supraparticles comprising sub-10 nm Cu constituent particles for ampere-level CO2-to-C2+ electrosynthesis. These supraparticles feature abundant grain boundaries for high C2+ selectivity, coupled with interconnected mesopores and interparticle macropore cavities to enhance the accessibility of the active sites and mass transfer, breaking the trade-off between activity and mass transfer in Cu-based catalysts. Moreover, the intrinsic hydrophobicity of the supraparticles mitigates the water-flooding issue of catalytic layer in flow cells, improving the stability at high current densities. Consequently, the Cu supraparticles achieve ampere-level CO2 electrolysis up to 3.2 A cm-2 with a C2+ Faradaic efficiency of 74.9% (compared to 1.21 A cm-2 and 55.4% for Cu nanoparticles) and maintain stability at 1 A cm-2 for over 100 h. This work provides profound insights into the effect of the coupling of mass transfer and catalytic reaction under a high current and presents a corresponding solution by superstructure design.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58755-w

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