Quasi-square-shaped cadmium hydroxide nanocatalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction with high efficiency

Powered by a renewable electricity source, electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction is a promising solution to facilitate the carbon balance. However, it is still a challenge to achieve a desired product with commercial current density and high efficiency. Herein we designed quasi-square-shaped cadmium hydroxide nanocatalysts for CO₂ electroreduction to CO. It was discovered that the catalyst is very active and selective for the reaction. The current density could be as high as 200 mA cm⁻² with a nearly 100% selectivity in a commonly used H-type cell using the ionic liquid-based electrolyte. In addition, the faradaic efficiency of CO could reach 90% at a very low overpotential of 100 mV. Density functional theory studies and control experiments reveal that the outstanding performance of the catalyst was attributed to its unique structure. It not only provides low Cd–O coordination, but also exposes high activity (002) facet, which requires lower energy for the formation of CO. Besides, the high concentration of CO can be achieved from the low concentration CO₂via an adsorption-electrolysis device.

Quasi-square cadmium hydroxide nanocrystals (Cdhy-QS) showed outstanding performance for electroreduction CO₂ to CO.     

Regulation of Coordination Number over Single Co Sites: Triggering the Efficient Electroreduction of CO2

The design of active, selective, and stable CO₂ reduction electrocatalysts is still challenging. A series of atomically dispersed Co catalysts with different nitrogen coordination numbers were prepared and their CO₂ electroreduction catalytic performance was explored. The best catalyst, atomically dispersed Co with two‐coordinate nitrogen atoms, achieves both high selectivity and superior activity with 94 % CO formation Faradaic efficiency and a current density of 18.1 mA cm^?2 at an overpotential of 520 mV. The CO formation turnover frequency reaches a record value of 18 200 h^?1, surpassing most reported metal‐based catalysts under comparable conditions. Our experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that lower a coordination number facilitates activation of CO₂ to the CO₂^.? intermediate and hence enhances CO₂ electroreduction activity.     

Spatial-confinement induced electroreduction of CO and CO2 to diols on densely-arrayed Cu nanopyramids

The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) to liquid alcohol is of significant research interest. This is because of a high mass-energy density, readiness for transportation and established utilization infrastructure. Current success is mainly around monohydric alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol. There exist few reports on converting CO₂ or CO to higher-valued diols such as ethylene glycol (EG; (CH₂OH)₂). The challenge to producing diols lies in the requirement to retain two oxygen atoms in the compound. Here for the first time, we demonstrate that densely-arrayed Cu nanopyramids (Cu-DAN) are able to retain two oxygen atoms for hydroxyl formation. This results in selective electroreduction of CO₂ or CO to diols. Density Functional Theory (DFT) computations highlight that the unique spatial-confinement induced by Cu-DAN is crucial to selectively generating EG through a new reaction pathway. This structure promotes C–C coupling with a decreased reaction barrier. Following C–C coupling the structure facilitates EG production by (1) retaining oxygen and promoting the *COH–CHO pathway, which is a newly identified pathway toward ethylene glycol production; and, (2) suppressing the carbon–oxygen bond breaking in intermediate *CH₂OH–CH₂O and boosting hydrogenation to EG. Our findings will be of immediate interest to researchers in the design of highly active and selective CO₂ and CO electroreduction to diols.

Densely-arrayed Cu nanopyramids have spatial confinement induced by the additional Cu–O bond. This promotes C–C coupling, regulates post-C–C coupling, and retains both oxygen atoms in an alternative pathway toward ethylene glycol formation from CO.     

Synthesis of cationic carbonyl complexes of manganese(I) with bidentate ligands

Summary Bidentate ligands can readily replace acetone in thefac-[Mn(CO)₃(chel)(OCMe₂)]⁺ complexes or the perchlorate group fromfac-[Mn(CO)₃(chel)(OClO₃)] yieldingfac-[Mn(CO)₃(chel)(L-L)]⁺ or [{fac-Mn(CO)₃(chel)}₂(L-L)]²⁺ [chel = 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2-bipyridine (bipy), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane (dpe); L-L = bis(diphenylphosphine)methane (dpm), dpe, 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphine)butane (dpb), succinonitrile (suc), and glutaronitrile (glu)]. Some of these mononuclear complexes are precursors for binuclear complexes which are linked by bridging phosphines or nitriles.     

Studies of chelation : II. Phosphine complexes of molybdenum and manganese

Activation parameters have been obtained for the chelation of Mo(CO)₅dpe (dpe = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂) and of Mo(CO)₅dmpe (dmpe = Me₂PCH₂CH₂PMe₂) to give cis-Mo(CO)₄dpe and cis-Mo(CO)₄dmpe respectively. The results are compared with those for the analogous chromium complexes and show that the enthalpy contribution determines the more rapid chelation in the molybdenum complexes. The preparation and properties of the chelate-bridged hetero-metallic complex (CO)₅ModmpeMn(CO)₄Br are reported. The reaction between Et₄N[Mn(CO)₄X₂] (X = Cl, Br) and bidentate ligands dpe, dmpe and ape (ape = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂AsPh₂) in the presence of either silver(I) tetrafluoroborate or Et₃OBF₄ produces cis-Mn(CO)₄X(bidentate) which is identified by infrared and mass spectrometry. At room temperature the Mn(CO)₄X(bidentate) complex is rapidly converted to the chelated fac-Mn(CO)₃X(bidentate) complex. The chelation process is approximately 10⁴ times more rapid than in the isoelectronic chromium(O) complexes. The preparation and characterisation of fac-Mn(CO)₃Br(dmpe), cis-Mn(CO)₄Br(PMe₃) and fac-Mn(CO)₃Br(PMe₃)₂ are reported.     

Surface Reconstruction of Ultrathin Palladium Nanosheets during Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction

A surface reconstructing phenomenon is discovered on a defect-rich ultrathin Pd nanosheet catalyst for aqueous CO₂ electroreduction. The pristine nanosheets with dominant (111) facet sites are transformed into crumpled sheet-like structures prevalent in electrocatalytically active (100) sites. The reconstruction increases the density of active sites and reduces the CO binding strength on Pd surfaces, remarkably promoting the CO₂ reduction to CO. A high CO Faradaic efficiency of 93 % is achieved with a site-specific activity of 6.6 mA cm⁻² at a moderate overpotential of 590 mV on the reconstructed 50 nm Pd nanosheets. Experimental and theoretical studies suggest the CO intermediate as a key factor driving the structural transformation during CO₂ reduction. This study highlights the dynamic nature of defective metal nanosheets under reaction conditions and suggests new opportunities in surface engineering of 2D metal nanostructures to tune their electrocatalytic performance.     

Reactions of metal carbonyl complexes III. Synthesis and reactions of Mn(CO)3(Triphos)X(X = Cl,Br, I)

The halopentacarbonylmanganese(I) complexes, Mn(CO)₅X(X = Cl, Br, I), react with PPh(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₂(Triphos) to give two isomers of fac-Mn(CO)₃(Triphos)X in which the Triphos ligand is only coordinated to the manganese atom through two of its three phosphorus atoms. The fac-Mn(CO)₃(Triphos)X complexes may be considered as “monodentate ligands” in that the free phosphorus atoms readily displace CO and other groups in a variety of metal carbonyls to give a series of novel bimetallic complexes, e.g. Br(CO)₃Mn(Triphos)Cr(CO)₅ and I(CO)₃Mn(Triphos)Mn(CO)₄I. The reactions of Mn(CO)₂[P(OMe)₃](Triphos)Br with Cr(CO)₅THF and Mn(CO)₃(Triphos)X(X = Br, I) with O₂ (and O₃) to produce Br(CO)₂[P(OMe)₃]Mn(Triphos)Cr(CO)₅ and fac-Mn(CO)₃(Triphos=O)X, respectively, are also described. The IR-active COstretching absorptions exhibited by the new complexes are discussed.     

Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Carbon Monoxide over Defect‐Rich Plasma‐Activated Silver Catalysts

Efficient, stable catalysts with high selectivity for a single product are essential if electroreduction of CO₂ is to become a viable route to the synthesis of industrial feedstocks and fuels. A plasma oxidation pre‐treatment of silver foil enhances the number of low‐coordinated catalytically active sites, which dramatically lowers the overpotential and increases the activity of CO₂ electroreduction to CO. At −0.6 V versus RHE more than 90 % Faradaic efficiency towards CO was achieved on a pre‐oxidized silver foil. While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy showed that oxygen species can survive in the bulk of the catalyst during the reaction, quasi in situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the surface is metallic under reaction conditions. DFT calculations reveal that the defect‐rich surface of the plasma‐oxidized silver foils in the presence of local electric fields drastically decrease the overpotential of CO₂ electroreduction.     

Inverse potential scaling in co-electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction through redox mediator tuning and catalyst design

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction is an attractive strategy to mitigate the continuous rise in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and generate value-added chemical products. A possible strategy to increase the activity of molecular systems for these reactions is the co-catalytic use of redox mediators (RMs), which direct reducing equivalents from the electrode surface to the active site. Recently, we demonstrated that a sulfone-based RM could trigger co-electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction via an inner-sphere mechanism under aprotic conditions. Here, we provide support for inner-sphere cooperativity under protic conditions by synthetically modulating the mediator to increase activity at lower overpotentials (inverse potential scaling). Furthermore, we show that both the intrinsic and co-catalytic performance of the Cr-centered catalyst can be enhanced by ligand design. By tuning both the Cr-centered catalyst and RM appropriately, an optimized co-electrocatalytic system with quantitative selectivity for CO at an overpotential (η) of 280 mV and turnover frequency (TOF) of 194 s⁻¹ is obtained, representing a three-fold increase in co-catalytic activity at 130 mV lower overpotential than our original report. Importantly, this work lays the foundation of a powerful tool for developing co-catalytic systems for homogeneous electrochemical reactions.

The use of sulfone-based redox mediators in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction by Cr-centered complexes enhances the turnover frequencies at lower overpotentials via inner-sphere electron transfer and pancake bonding.     

Synthese und Reaktivität von ferrocenyl-pentacarbonylmangan,Mn(CO)5Fc

The compound Mn(CO)₅Fc can be prepared by the reaction of Mn(CO)₅Br with ferrocenyllithium, FcLi. The mangana-β-diketone [Mn(CO)₄(FcCO)₂]H, obtained as a side-product, is converted into Mn(CO)₅Fc with concomitant formation of diferrocenoyl, (FcCO)₂. In proton-containing solvents the ferrocenyl group of Mn(CO)₅Fc is slowly split off in the form of ferrocenylcarbonyl compounds: the aldehyde Fc-CHO is formed in acetonitrile, and the ester Fc-COOCH₃ in methanol. The ferrocenyl-manganese complex, Mn(CO)₅Fc, reacts with triphenylphosphane to give cis-Mn(CO)₄(PPh₃)Fc, with t-butylisocyanide to give fac-Mn(CO)₃(CN^tBu)₂COFc, and with oxidants such as NOBF₄ or iodine to give the ferricenium cation [Mn(CO)₅Fc]⁺.     

Extending the π-System in MnI Diimine Tricarbonyl Complexes: Impacts on Photochemistry,Electrochemistry, and CO2 Catalytic Reduction Activity

The complex [Mn(bpy)(CO)₃Br], has been previously studied as both an electrocatalyst and a photocatalyst, in conjugation with a photosensitizer, for CO₂ reduction to CO. This study considers the relationship between this catalytic activity and the steric and electronic nature of the aromatic diimine ligand. To this end, the π-system in the bidentate ligand is increased step-wise from 2,2′-bipyridine ( bpy ) to 2-(2-pyridyl)quinoline ( pq ) to 2,2′-biquinoline ( bqn ) in a series of three fac-[Mn(α-diimine)(CO)₃Br] complexes. It is found that the propensity of these complexes to photochemically dimerize trends with the energy of the α-diimine π* energy. Electrochemically, it is observed that the second reduction event in these systems becomes increasingly thermodynamically favorable and approaches the potential of the first reduction event as the π-system expands. In fac-[Mn(bqn)(CO)₃Br], the second reduction is more favorable than the first reduction, precluding the formation of a dimer intermediate; even though, chemical reduction of fac-[Mn(bqn)(CO)₃Br] confirms that the dimer, [Mn(bqn)(CO)₃Br]₂ is able to form and not prevented by steric considerations. Though the second reduction potential is more positive for bqn and pq than for bpy , the CO₂ reduction mechanism changes such that the overpotential for carbon dioxide reduction occurs at more negative potentials, leading to a decrease in overall catalytic activity.     

Is Cu instability during the CO2 reduction reaction governed by the applied potential or the local CO concentration?

Cu-based catalysts have shown structural instability during the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). However, studies on monometallic Cu catalysts do not allow a nuanced differentiation between the contribution of the applied potential and the local concentration of CO as the reaction intermediate since both are inevitably linked. We first use bimetallic Ag-core/porous Cu-shell nanoparticles, which utilise nanoconfinement to generate high local CO concentrations at the Ag core at potentials at which the Cu shell is still inactive for the CO₂RR. Using operando liquid cell TEM in combination with ex situ TEM, we can unequivocally confirm that the local CO concentration is the main source for the Cu instability. The local CO concentration is then modulated by replacing the Ag-core with a Pd-core which further confirms the role of high local CO concentrations. Product quantification during CO₂RR reveals an inherent trade-off between stability, selectivity and activity in both systems.

The stability of bimetallic AgCu and PdCu catalysts for electrochemical CO₂RR is investigated using the combination of operando and ex situ TEM. The local CO concentration is identified as the main link between activity, stability and selectivity.     

Turning it off! Disfavouring hydrogen evolution to enhance selectivity for CO production during homogeneous CO2 reduction by cobalt–terpyridine complexes

Understanding the activity and selectivity of molecular catalysts for CO₂ reduction to fuels is an important scientific endeavour in addressing the growing global energy demand. Cobalt–terpyridine compounds have been shown to be catalysts for CO₂ reduction to CO while simultaneously producing H₂ from the requisite proton source. To investigate the parameters governing the competition for H⁺ reduction versus CO₂ reduction, the cobalt bisterpyridine class of compounds is first evaluated as H⁺ reduction catalysts. We report that electronic tuning of the ancillary ligand sphere can result in a wide range of second-order rate constants for H⁺ reduction. When this class of compounds is next submitted to CO₂ reduction conditions, a trend is found in which the less active catalysts for H⁺ reduction are the more selective towards CO₂ reduction to CO. This represents the first report of the selectivity of a molecular system for CO₂ reduction being controlled through turning off one of the competing reactions. The activities of the series of catalysts are evaluated through foot-of-the-wave analysis and a catalytic Tafel plot is provided.     

Reaction chemistry of tricarbonyl-η-pentadienylmanganese: Straightforward synthesis of stable manganese carbonyl terminal thiolates and a dinuclear bis(ethylenediaminyl) complex

Tricarbonyl-η⁵-pentadienylmanganese reacts with mercaptans RSH, R = Ph, C₆F₅, m-NH₂C₆H₄, p-NH₂C₆H₄, and HSCH₂CH₂ in the presence of ECH₂CH₂E, E = -PPh₂ or -NH₂ to give novel stable terminal thiolate mononuclear complexes fac-Mn(CO)₃(SR)(Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂-κ²-P,P′) for R = Ph, C₆F₅, m-NH₂C₆H₄, p-NH₂C₆H₄, and HSCH₂CH₂ and fac-Mn(CO)₃(SR)(H₂NCH₂CH₂NH₂-κ²-N,N′) for R = Ph and C₆F₅. Upon reaction of tricarbonyl-η⁵-pentadienylmanganese with ethylenediamine a dinuclear complex [fac-Mn(CO)₃(μ-H₂NCH₂CH₂NH-κ²-N,N′)]₂ was formed wherein the diaminyl ligand functions in the capacity of chelating and bridging ligand.     

Why do RuO2 electrodes catalyze electrochemical CO2 reduction to methanol rather than methane or perhaps neither of those?

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) on RuO₂ and RuO₂-based electrodes has been shown experimentally to produce high yields of methanol, formic acid and/or hydrogen while methane formation is not detected. This CO₂RR selectivity on RuO₂ is in stark contrast to copper metal electrodes that produce methane and hydrogen in the highest yields whereas methanol is only formed in trace amounts. Density functional theory calculations on RuO₂(110) where only adsorption free energies of intermediate species are considered, i.e. solvent effects and energy barriers are not included, predict however, that the overpotential and the potential limiting step for both methanol and methane are the same. In this work, we use both ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature and total energy calculations to improve the model system and methodology by including both explicit solvation effects and calculations of proton–electron transfer energy barriers to elucidate the reaction mechanism towards several CO₂RR products: methanol, methane, formic acid, CO and methanediol, as well as for the competing H₂ evolution. We observe a significant difference in energy barriers towards methane and methanol, where a substantially larger energy barrier is calculated towards methane formation than towards methanol formation, explaining why methanol has been detected experimentally but not methane. Furthermore, the calculations show why RuO₂ also catalyzes the CO₂RR towards formic acid and not CO(g) and methanediol, in agreement with experimental results. However, our calculations predict RuO₂ to be much more selective towards H₂ formation than for the CO₂RR at any applied potential. Only when a large overpotential of around −1 V is applied, can both formic acid and methanol be evolved, but low faradaic efficiency is predicted because of the more facile H₂ formation.

Energy barriers are calculated for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction on the RuO₂(110) surface towards methanol, methane, formic acid, methanediol, CO and the competing H₂ formation and compared with experimental literature.     

A cofacial metal–organic framework based photocathode for carbon dioxide reduction

Innovative and robust photosensitisation materials play a cardinal role in advancing the combined effort towards efficient solar energy harvesting. Here, we demonstrate the photocathode functionality of a Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) featuring cofacial pairs of photo- and electro-active 1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (NDI) ligands, which was successfully applied to markedly reduce the overpotential required for CO₂ reduction to CO by a well-known rhenium molecular electrocatalyst. Reduction of [Cd(DPNDI)(TDC)]_n (DPNDI = N,N′-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide, H₂TDC = thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) to its mixed-valence state induces through-space Intervalence Charge Transfer (IVCT) within cofacial DPNDI units. Irradiation of the mixed-valence MOF in the visible region generates a DPNDI photoexcited radical monoanion state, which is stabilised as a persistent species by the inherent IVCT interactions and has been rationalised using Density Functional Theory (DFT). This photoexcited radical monoanion state was able to undergo charge transfer (CT) reduction of the rhenium molecular electrocatalyst to effect CO generation at a lower overpotential than that required by the discrete electrocatalyst itself. The exploitation of cofacial MOFs opens new directions for the design philosophy behind light harvesting materials.

The photocathode functionality of a Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) featuring cofacial photo- and electro-active ligands provides a new approach to CO₂ reduction via charge transfer with a rhenium electrocatalyst.

The development of photocathode materials for CO₂ reduction and hydrogen evolution catalyses has traditionally focussed on photosensitising transition metal complexes or nanostructured solid state semiconductors.^1,2 At the nascent frontier between robust solid state semiconductors and synthetically protean metal complexes are photo-/electro-active Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) that consolidate the flexibility of homogeneous systems into the robust heterogeneous phase.³ Contrasting with reported MOF examples, natural photosynthesis remains one of the most efficient light harvesting systems.⁴ One common reaction centre adopted in photosynthesis features a redox-active cofacial dimer of chlorophyll pigment molecules.⁵ This cofacial moiety stabilises the photoexcited charge separated state through intra-dimer Intervalence Charge Transfer (IVCT) interactions, enabling the trapping and conversion of light to chemical energy. Recently, we characterised IVCT interactions upon reduction to the mixed-valence state in the MOF [Zn₂(TDC)₂(DPPTzTz)₂]_n (DPPTzTz = 2,5-bis(4-(4-pyridyl)phenyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole and H₂TDC = thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) featuring cofacial dimers of the thiazolothiazole redox-active core, and probed its structure–activity dependence computationally and experimentally.^6–9 Subsequently, we sought design a new MOF featuring cofacial pairs of the photo- and redox-active N,N′-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (DPNDI) ligand, as a conceptually neoteric photosensitiser for incorporation into systems relevant towards artificial photosynthesis.The naphthalene diimide (NDI) core was selected for its photoactive radical monoanion state.¹⁰ For a number of discrete systems, Wasielewski and coworkers have computationally and experimentally demonstrated the ability to photoexcite the easily accessible NDI radical monoanion using visible light, facilitating its transient photoelectrochemical reduction of Re based catalytic CO₂ reduction sites.^2,11–14 Recently, Goswami et al. synthesised a Zr NDI-based MOF, applying this as a radical state heterogeneous photosensitiser to decompose dichloromethane.¹⁵Here, we describe the synthesis of a new photo- and redox-active MOF [Cd(DPNDI)(TDC)]_n, denoted csiMOF-6 (cofacial stacked IVCT), featuring cofacial dimers of the DPNDI ligand. Cofacial DPNDI MOFs have been reported previously by Takashima et al.¹⁶ and Sikdar et al.,¹⁷ where guest dependent charge transfer (CT) and neutral state photoexcitation behaviours were examined. Dinolfo et al. also incorporated DPNDI into a rhenium based cofacial complex, where its mixed-valence IVCT behaviour was probed using electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical (SEC) techniques.¹⁸ We envisaged that the cofacial NDI units in csiMOF-6 would stabilise its photoexcited radical monoanion state by IVCT interactions, akin to cofacial moieties in natural photosynthsesis processes. This strengthens the persistence of the NDI photoexcited radical monoanion state, thereby improving its efficacy at photoelectrochemical reduction of catalytically active sites. Effectiveness of the cofacial design principle behind csiMOF-6 photocathodes was verified using a combined experimental and computational approach. The successful photocathode performance of csiMOF-6 under broad band visible light irradiation encompassed its photoelectrochemical reduction of the [Re(bipy-tBu)(CO)₃Cl] (bipy-tBu = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine, developed by Smieja et al.¹⁹) CO₂ reduction electrocatalyst, resulting in CO generation at reduced overpotential requirements.     

Buffering the local pH via single-atomic Mn–N auxiliary sites to boost CO2 electroreduction

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction driven by renewable energy has become a promising approach to rebalance the carbon cycle. Atomically dispersed transition metals anchored on N-doped carbon supports (M-N-C) have been considered as the most attractive catalysts to catalyze CO₂ to CO. However, the sluggish kinetics of M-N-C limits the large-scale application of this type of catalyst. Here, it is found that the introduction of single atomic Mn–N auxiliary sites could effectively buffer the locally generated OH⁻ on the catalytic interface of the single-atomic Ni–N–C sites, thus accelerating proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps to enhance the CO₂ electroreduction to CO. The constructed diatomic Ni/Mn–N–C catalysts show a CO faradaic efficiency of 96.6% and partial CO current density of 13.3 mA cm⁻² at −0.76 V vs. RHE, outperforming that of monometallic single-atomic Ni–N–C or Mn–N–C counterparts. The results suggest that constructing synergistic catalytic sites to regulate the surface local microenvironment might be an attractive strategy for boosting CO₂ electroreduction to value-added products.

An effective strategy is developed to regulate the local microenvironment of single atomic Ni–N–C sites for accelerating CO₂ to CO conversion. The Ni/Mn–N–C catalysts shows a CO faradaic efficiency of 96.6% due to the accelerated reaction kinetics.     

Electrochemical C–N coupling with perovskite hybrids toward efficient urea synthesis

Electrocatalytic C–N coupling reaction by co-activation of both N₂ and CO₂ molecules under ambient conditions to synthesize valuable urea opens a new avenue for sustainable development, while the actual catalytic activity is limited by poor adsorption and coupling capability of gas molecules on the catalyst surface. Herein, theoretical calculation predicts that the well-developed built-in electric field in perovskite hetero-structured BiFeO₃/BiVO₄ hybrids can accelerate the local charge redistribution and thus promote the targeted adsorption and activation of inert N₂ and CO₂ molecules on the generated local electrophilic and nucleophilic regions. Thus, a BiFeO₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction is designed and synthesized, which delivers a urea yield rate of 4.94 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ with a faradaic efficiency of 17.18% at −0.4 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KHCO₃, outperforming the highest values reported as far. The comprehensive analysis further confirms that the local charge redistribution in the heterojunction effectively suppresses CO poisoning and the formation of the endothermic *NNH intermediate, which thus guarantees the exothermic coupling of *N N* intermediates with the generated CO via C–N coupling reactions to form the urea precursor *NCON* intermediate. This work opens a new avenue for effective electrocatalytic C–N coupling under ambient conditions.

The local charge redistribution in BiFeO₃/BiVO₄ hybrids promotes the targeted adsorption and activation of inert gas molecules and guarantees the exothermic coupling of *N N* with generated CO via C–N coupling reactions to form *NCON* precursor.     

Copper‐Bismuth Bimetallic Microspheres for Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Formate

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction holds great promise for reducing the atmospheric CO₂ level and alleviating the energy crisis. High‐performance electrocatalysts are often required in order to lower the high overpotential and expedite the sluggish reaction kinetics of CO₂ electroreduction. Copper is a promising candidate metal. However, it usually suffers from the issues of poor stability and low product selectivity. In this work, bimetallic Cu‐Bi is obtained by reducing the microspherical copper bismuthate (CuBi₂O₄) for selectively catalyzing the CO₂ reduction to formate (HCOO^–). The bimetallic Cu‐Bi electrocatalyst exhibits high activity and selectivity with the Faradic efficiency over 90% in a wide potential window. A maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~95% is obtained at –0.93 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, the catalyst shows high stability over 6 h with Faradaic efficiency of ~95%. This study provides an important clue in designing new functional materials for CO₂ electroreduction with high activity and selectivity.     

Tandem electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with Fe-porphyrins and Cu nanocubes enhances ethylene production

Copper-based tandem schemes have emerged as promising strategies to promote the formation of multi-carbon products in the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction. In such approaches, the CO-generating component of the tandem catalyst increases the local concentration of CO and thereby enhances the intrinsic carbon–carbon (C–C) coupling on copper. However, the optimal characteristics of the CO-generating catalyst for maximizing the C₂ production are currently unknown. In this work, we developed tunable tandem catalysts comprising iron porphyrin (Fe-Por), as the CO-generating component, and Cu nanocubes (Cucub) to understand how the turnover frequency for CO (TOF_CO) of the molecular catalysts impacts the C–C coupling on the Cu surface. First, we tuned the TOF_CO of the Fe-Por by varying the number of orbitals involved in the π-system. Then, we coupled these molecular catalysts with the Cu_cub and assessed the current densities and faradaic efficiencies. We discovered that all of the designed Fe-Por boost ethylene production. The most efficient Cu_cub/Fe-Por tandem catalyst was the one including the Fe-Por with the highest TOF_CO and exhibited a nearly 22-fold increase in the ethylene selectivity and 100 mV positive shift of the onset potential with respect to the pristine Cu_cub. These results reveal that coupling the TOF_CO tunability of molecular catalysts with copper nanocatalysts opens up new possibilities towards the development of Cu-based catalysts with enhanced selectivity for multi-carbon product generation at low overpotential.

Coupling the tunability of molecular catalysts and copper nanocatalysts opens up new possibilities towards the development of Cu-based catalysts with enhanced selectivity for multi-carbon product generation at low overpotential.