Densely Packed,Ultra Small SnO Nanoparticles for Enhanced Activity and Selectivity in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Controlling the selectivity in electrochemical CO₂ reduction is an unsolved challenge. While tin (Sn) has emerged as a promising non‐precious catalyst for CO₂ electroreduction, most Sn‐based catalysts produce formate as the major product, which is less desirable than CO in terms of separation and further use. Tin monoxide (SnO) nanoparticles supported on carbon black were synthesized and assembled and their application in CO₂ reduction was studied. Remarkably high selectivity and partial current densities for CO formation were obtained using these SnO nanoparticles compared to other Sn catalysts. The high activity is attributed to the ultra‐small size of the nanoparticles (2.6 nm), while the high selectivity is attributed to a local pH effect arising from the dense packing of nanoparticles in the conductive carbon black matrix.     

过渡金属单原子电催化剂还原CO2制CO

电催化二氧化碳还原(ECR)技术是实现“碳中和”目标的一种理想途径,而过渡金属单原子催化剂具有电子结构可调、原子利用率高和活性位点均一等特点,在ECR研究中具有显著优势。本文首先介绍了单原子电催化剂在还原CO₂尤其是在选择性生成CO研究中的优势,然后综述了近年来Fe、Co、Ni及其他单原子电催化剂的反应位点调控策略与电催化选择性的调控机制,重点对质子耦合CO₂还原生成CO的中间过程调控进行了归纳总结,并简要展望了发展方向,以期为推动单原子催化剂在ECR中规模化应用提供指导和参考。     

Selective Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Aqueous CO2 to CO by Solvated Electrons

Reduction of CO₂ by direct one‐electron activation is extraordinarily difficult because of the ?1.9 V reduction potential of CO₂. Demonstrated herein is reduction of aqueous CO₂ to CO with greater than 90 % product selectivity by direct one‐electron reduction to CO₂^.? by solvated electrons. Illumination of inexpensive diamond substrates with UV light leads to the emission of electrons directly into water, where they form solvated electrons and induce reduction of CO₂ to CO₂^.?. Studies using diamond were supported by studies using aqueous iodide ion (I^?), a chemical source of solvated electrons. Both sources produced CO with high selectivity and minimal formation of H₂. The ability to initiate reduction reactions by emitting electrons directly into solution without surface adsorption enables new pathways which are not accessible using conventional electrochemical or photochemical processes.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Acetic Acid by a Molecular Manganese Corrole Complex

The controlled electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to value added chemicals is an important strategy in terms of renewable energy technologies. Therefore, the development of efficient and stable catalysts in an aqueous environment is of great importance. In this context, we focused on synthesizing and studying a molecular Mn^III‐corrole complex, which is modified on the three meso‐positions with polyethylene glycol moieties for direct and selective production of acetic acid from CO₂. Electrochemical reduction of Mn^III leads to an electroactive Mn^II species, which binds CO₂ and stabilizes the reduced intermediates. This catalyst allows to electrochemically reduce CO₂ to acetic acid in a moderate acidic aqueous medium (pH 6) with a selectivity of 63 % and a turn over frequency (TOF) of 8.25 h^?1, when immobilized on a carbon paper (CP) electrode. In terms of high selectivity towards acetate, we propose the formation and reduction of an oxalate type intermediate, stabilized at the Mn^III‐corrole center.     

Self-Supported Nanoporous Au3Cu Electrode with Enriched Gold on Surface for Efficient Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

The key to the electrochemical conversion of CO₂ lies in the development of efficient electrocatalysts with ease of operation, good conductivity, and rich active sites that fulfil the desired reaction direction and selectivity. Herein, an oxidative etching of Au₂₀Cu₈₀ alloy is used for the synthesis of a nanoporous Au₃Cu alloy, representing a facile strategy for tuning the surface electronic properties and altering the adsorption behavior of the intermediates. HRTEM, XPS, and EXAFS results reveal that the curved surface of the synthesized nanoporous Au₃Cu is rich in gold with unsaturated coordination conditions. It can be used directly as a self-supported electrode for CO₂ reduction, and exhibits high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 98.12 % toward CO at a potential of −0.7 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The FE is 1.47 times that over the as-made single nanoporous Au. Density functional theory reveals that *CO has a relatively long distance on the surface of nanoporous Au₃Cu, making desorption of CO easier and avoiding CO poisoning. The Hirshfeld charge distribution shows that the Au atoms have a negative charge and the Cu atoms exhibit a positive charge, which separately bond to the C atom and O atom in the *COOH intermediate through a bidentate mode. This affords the lowest *COOH adsorption free energy and low desorption energy for CO molecules.     

Selective and Efficient Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide on Oxide‐Derived Nanostructured Silver Electrocatalysts

In this work, the selective electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide on oxide‐derived silver electrocatalysts is presented. By a simple synthesis technique, the overall high faradaic efficiency for CO production on the oxide‐derived Ag was shifted by more than 400 mV towards a lower overpotential compared to that of untreated Ag. Notably, the Ag resulting from Ag oxide is capable of electrochemically reducing CO₂ to CO with approximately 80 % catalytic selectivity at a moderate overpotential of 0.49 V, which is much higher than that (ca. 4 %) of untreated Ag under identical conditions. Electrokinetic studies show that the improved catalytic activity is ascribed to the enhanced stabilization of COOH^. intermediate. Furthermore, highly nanostructured Ag is likely able to create a high local pH near the catalyst surface, which may also facilitate the catalytic activity for the reduction of CO₂ with suppressed H₂ evolution.     

Pt（Cu）-CdS／钛酸纳米管光催化转化CO2和H2O的研究

以商业P25为前躯体,用强碱水热超声法合成钛酸纳米管（TiNT）,以其为载体采用离子交换法制备CdS复合钛酸纳米管（CdS／TiNT）,再用浸渍法负载共催化剂Pt或Cu．对上述样品进行光催化转化CO2和H2O的实验研究,并采用透射电子显微镜（TEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）、紫外可见漫反射（UV—Vis DRS）、比表面...     

Controllable Hydrocarbon Formation from the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 over Cu Nanowire Arrays

In this work, the effect of Cu nanowire morphology on the selective electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ is presented. Cu nanowire arrays were prepared through a two‐step synthesis of Cu(OH)₂ and CuO nanowire arrays on Cu foil substrates and a subsequent electrochemical reduction of the CuO nanowire arrays to Cu nanowire arrays. By this simple synthesis method, Cu nanowire array electrodes with different length and density were able to be controllably synthesized. We show that the selectivity for hydrocarbons (ethylene, n‐propanol, ethane, and ethanol) on Cu nanowire array electrodes at a fixed potential can be tuned by systematically altering the Cu nanowire length and density. The nanowire morphology effect is linked to the increased local pH in the Cu nanowire arrays and a reaction scheme detailing the local pH‐induced formation of C₂ products is also presented by a preferred CO dimerization pathway.     

Electrocatalytic and Solar‐Driven CO2 Reduction to CO with a Molecular Manganese Catalyst Immobilized on Mesoporous TiO2

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to CO was achieved with a novel Mn complex, fac‐[MnBr(4,4′‐bis(phosphonic acid)‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(CO)₃] ( MnP ), immobilized on a mesoporous TiO₂ electrode. A benchmark turnover number of 112±17 was attained with these TiO₂| MnP electrodes after 2 h electrolysis. Post‐catalysis IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the molecular structure of the MnP catalyst was retained. UV/vis spectroscopy confirmed that an active Mn–Mn dimer was formed during catalysis on the TiO₂ electrode, showing the dynamic formation of a catalytically active dimer on an electrode surface. Finally, we combined the light‐protected TiO₂| MnP cathode with a CdS‐sensitized photoanode to enable solar‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction with the light‐sensitive MnP catalyst.     

用于CO2或CO加氢合成甲醇过程的高活性Cu/ZnO/Al2O3纳米纤维催化剂

 采用特殊的共沉淀法制备了一种在CO2加氢和CO加氢过程中都具有很高活性的Cu/ZnO/Al2O3纳米纤维催化剂. 与商业催化剂相比,该催化剂的CO2和CO转化率、甲醇选择性和甲醇时空产率高很多. 该合成方法不需要有机试剂和复杂的过程,因此生产成本低,容易实现.     

Deciphering Ligands’ Interaction with Cu and Cu2O Nanocrystal Surfaces by NMR Solution Tools

The hydrogenolysis of [Cu₂{(iPrN)₂(CCH₃)}₂] in the presence of hexadecylamine (HDA) or tetradecylphosphonic acid (TDPA) in toluene leads to 6–9 nm copper nanocrystals. Solution NMR spectroscopy has been used to describe the nanoparticle surface chemistry during the dynamic phenomenon of air oxidation. The ligands are organized as multilayered shells around the nanoparticles. The shell of ligands is controlled by both their intermolecular interactions and their bonding strength on the nanocrystals. Under ambient atmosphere, the oxidation rate of colloidal copper nanocrystals closely relies on the chemical nature of the employed ligands (base or acid). Primary amine molecules behave as soft ligands for Cu atoms, but are even more strongly coordinated on surface Cu^I sites, thus allowing a very efficient corrosion protection of the copper core. On the contrary, the TDPA ligands lead to a rapid oxidation rate of Cu nanoparticles and eventually to the re‐dissolution of Cu^II species at the expense of the nanocrystals.     

Judicious Ligand Design in Ruthenium Polypyridyl CO2 Reduction Catalysts to Enhance Reactivity by Steric and Electronic Effects

A series of Ru^II polypyridyl complexes of the structural design [Ru^II(R?tpy)(NN)(CH₃CN)]²⁺ (R?tpy=2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine (R=H) or 4,4′,4′′‐tri‐tert‐butyl‐2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine (R=tBu); NN=2,2′‐bipyridine with methyl substituents in various positions) have been synthesized and analyzed for their ability to function as electrocatalysts for the reduction of CO₂ to CO. Detailed electrochemical analyses establish how substitutions at different ring positions of the bipyridine and terpyridine ligands can have profound electronic and, even more importantly, steric effects that determine the complexes’ reactivities. Whereas electron‐donating groups para to the heteroatoms exhibit the expected electronic effect, with an increase in turnover frequencies at increased overpotential, the introduction of a methyl group at the ortho position of NN imposes drastic steric effects. Two complexes, [Ru^II(tpy)(6‐mbpy)(CH₃CN)]²⁺ (trans‐[ 3 ]²⁺; 6‐mbpy=6‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) and [Ru^II(tBu?tpy)(6‐mbpy)(CH₃CN)]²⁺ (trans‐[ 4 ]²⁺), in which the methyl group of the 6‐mbpy ligand is trans to the CH₃CN ligand, show electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction at a previously unreactive oxidation state of the complex. This low overpotential pathway follows an ECE mechanism (electron transfer–chemical reaction–electron transfer), and is a direct result of steric interactions that facilitate CH₃CN ligand dissociation, CO₂ coordination, and ultimately catalytic turnover at the first reduction potential of the complexes. All experimental observations are rigorously corroborated by DFT calculations.     

泡沫铜负载硫化亚铜电极高效电催化还原二氧化碳制备甲酸

电催化还原二氧化碳制备甲酸是备受关注的热点问题。而电极材料是决定还原效率的重要因素。本文通过电沉积方法在泡沫铜上直接制备纳米结构硫化亚铜薄膜,并采用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)对其结构性能进行了系统研究。以硫化亚铜作为阴极电催化材料、0.5 mol·L^-1 1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑四氟硼酸盐的乙腈溶液为电解液,在该体系中可高效催化转化二氧化碳为甲酸。结果表明,这一电解体系可有效实现电化学反应,甲酸的法拉第效率(FE_HCOOH)可以达到85%,同时甲酸还原电流密度可达到5.3 mA·cm^-2。     

Cu/MoO3-TiO2光催化CO2与C3H6反应合成甲基丙烯酸的性能

 研究了Cu/MoO3-TiO2上CO2和C3H6的吸附特性及其光催化CO2与C3H6反应合成甲基丙烯酸(MAA)的性能. 结果表明,在Cu/MoO3-TiO2催化剂表面存在金属Cu位、Lewis酸位Mo6+和Ti4+以及Lewis碱位Mo-O-Ti的桥氧和Mo=O的端氧三类活性中心. 在金属Cu位和Lewis酸位Ti4+(Mo6+)的协同作用下,CO2形成活性较高的卧式吸附态Cu-(CO)-O→Ti4+(Mo6+),C3H6的β-H和β-C分别吸附在Lewis碱位 Mo=O 与金属Cu位上形成Cu-C(CH2)(CH3)-H→O=Mo吸附态. Cu/MoO3-TiO2催化剂吸收阈值蓝移和光吸收量的提高均有利于其催化活性的提高,Cu/10%MoO3-TiO2 光催化剂的催化活性优于其它MoO3含量的催化剂,光量子产率达22.8%,在110 ℃,0.1 MPa,空速200 h-1和125 W紫外灯辐照下,C3H6转化率为8.4%,MAA选择性超过95%. 提出了催化剂光促表面催化CO2与C3H6合成MAA的反应机理.     

Boosting CO2 Electroreduction on N,P-Co-doped Carbon Aerogels

Electroreduction of CO₂ to CO powered by renewable electricity is a possible alternative to synthesizing CO from fossil fuel. However, it is very hard to achieve high current density at high faradaic efficiency (FE). Here, the first use of N,P-co-doped carbon aerogels (NPCA) to boost CO₂ reduction to CO is presented. The FE of CO could reach 99.1 % with a partial current density of −143.6 mA cm⁻², which is one of the highest current densities to date. NPCA has higher electrochemical active area and overall electronic conductivity than that of N- or P-doped carbon aerogels, which favors electron transfer from CO₂ to its radical anion or other key intermediates. By control experiments and theoretical calculations, it is found that the pyridinic N was very active for CO₂ reduction to CO, and co-doping of P with N hinder the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) significantly, and thus the both current density and FE are very high.