基于金属氧化物材料的二氧化碳电催化还原

The CO₂ level in the atmosphere has been increasing since the industrial revolution owing to anthropogenic activities. The increased CO₂ level has led to global warming and also has detrimental effects on human beings. Reducing the CO₂ level in the atmosphere is urgent for balancing the carbon cycle. In this regard, reduction in CO₂ emission and CO₂ storage and usage are the main strategies. Among these, CO₂ usage has been extensively explored, because it can reduce the CO₂ level and simultaneously provide opportunities for the development in catalysts and industries to convert CO₂ as a carbon source for preparing valuable products. However, transformation of CO₂ to other chemicals is challenging owing to its thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities. Among the CO₂ utilization techniques, electrochemical CO₂ reduction (ECR) is a promising alternative because it is generally conducted under ambient conditions, and water is used as the economical hydrogen source. Moreover, ECR offers a potential route to store electrical energy from renewable sources in the form of chemical energy, through generation of CO₂ reduction products. To improve the energy efficiency and viability of ECR, it is important to decrease the operational overpotential and maintain large current densities and high product selectivities; the development of efficient electrocatalysts is a critical aspect in this regard. To date, many kinds of materials have been designed and studied for application in ECR. Among these materials, metal oxide-based materials exhibit excellent performance as electrocatalysts for ECR and are attracting increasing attention in recent years. Investigation of the mechanism of reactions that involve metallic electrocatalysts has revealed the function of trace amount of oxidized metal species—it has been suggested that the presence of metal oxides and metal-oxygen bonds facilitates the activation of CO₂ and the subsequent formation and stabilization of the reaction intermediates, thereby resulting in high efficiency and selectivity of the ECR. Although the stability of metal oxides is a concern as they are prone to reduction under a cathodic potential, the catalytic performance of metal oxide-based catalysts can be maintained through careful designing of the morphology and structure of the materials. In addition, introducing other metal species to metal oxides and fabricating composites of metal oxides and other materials are effective strategies to achieve enhanced performance in ECR. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the use of metal oxide-based materials as electrocatalysts and their application in ECR. The critical role, stability, and structure-performance relationship of the metal oxide-based materials for ECR are highlighted in the discussion. In the final part, we propose the future prospects for the development of metal oxide-based electrocatalysts for ECR.     

Stabilization of Cu/Ni Alloy Nanoparticles with Graphdiyne Enabling Efficient CO2 Reduction

Electrocatalysis has become an attractive strategy for the artificial reduction of CO2 to high-value chemicals.However,the design and development of highly selective and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts that convert CO2 to CO are still a challenge.As a new type of two-dimensional carbon material,graphdiyne(GDY),is rarely used to explore the application in carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO2RR).Therefore,we tried to use GDY as a substrate to stabilize the copper-nickel alloy nanoparticles(NPs)to synthesize Cu/Ni@GDY.Cu/Ni@GDY requires an overpotential(-0.61 V)to 10 mA/cm2 for the formation of CO,and it shows better activity than Au and Ag,achieving a higher Faraday efficiency of about 95.2％and high stability of about 26 h at an overpotential(-0.70 V).The electronic interaction between GDY substrate and Cu/Ni alloy NPs and the large specific surface area of GDY is responsible for the high performance.     

Bismuth/Graphdiyne Heterostructure for Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to Formate

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction is great promising in alleviating the excessive CO₂ emission and the conversion to valuable productions. Herein we report the in-situ controlled growth of Bismuth nanoflower/graphdiyne heterostructures(Bi/GDY) for efficient CO₂ conversion toward formate. Based on GDY, the obtained electrocatalyst exhibits a partial current density of 19.2 mA/cm² and high reaction selectivity towards formate with a high Faradic efficiency of 91.7% at ‒1.03 V vs. RHE, and an energy efficiency of 58.8%. The high formate yield rates could be maintained at around 300 μmol/(cm²·h) over a wide potential range. Detailed characterizations show that the unique interface structures between GDY and Bi can enhance the charge transfer ability, increase the number of active sites, and improve the long-term stability, and finally reach high-performance electrocatalytic conversion of CO₂ to formate.     

Acidic Media Impedes Tandem Catalysis Reaction Pathways in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) in acidic media with Cu-based catalysts tends to suffer from lowered selectivity towards multicarbon products. This could in principle be mitigated using tandem catalysis, whereby the *CO coverage on Cu is increased by introducing a CO generating catalyst (e.g. Ag) in close proximity. Although this has seen significant success in neutral/alkaline media, here we report that such a strategy becomes impeded in acidic electrolyte. This was investigated through the co-reduction of ¹³CO₂/¹²CO mixtures using a series of Cu and CuAg catalysts. These experiments provide strong evidence for the occurrence of tandem catalysis in neutral media and its curtailment under acidic conditions. Density functional theory simulations suggest that the presence of H₃O⁺ weakens the *CO binding energy of Cu, preventing effective utilization of tandem-supplied CO. Our findings also provide other unanticipated insights into the tandem catalysis reaction pathway and important design considerations for effective CO₂R in acidic media.     

CO2电还原用氮掺杂碳基过渡金属单原子催化剂

温和条件下将CO₂电催化还原(CO₂RR)为高能量密度燃料和高附加值碳产品是降低大气中CO₂浓度、储存间歇性可再生能源、实现碳中和的重要途径之一。设计和开发对电催化CO₂RR兼具高活性、高选择性、高稳定性、且对析氢反应(HER)具有显著抑制作用的高性能廉价催化剂是CO₂RR研究的关键。单原子催化剂(SACs)由于其独特的电子结构和几何结构对许多重要化学反应(如CO氧化反应、加氢反应、析氧反应、氧还原反应、析氢反应等)显示出优异的催化活性而广受关注。近年来,N掺杂多孔碳载体过渡金属单原子催化材料(M-N-C)显示出对电化学二氧化碳还原的广阔前景、并有望成为在水相电解质中还原CO₂的贵金属(Au,Ag)催化剂的替代品。本文从单原子催化材料M-N-C的制备、影响电催化性能的因素及MN_x活性基团三个方向介绍了单原子催化剂M-N-C电催化CO₂RR的研究现状和进展。最后,就目前该方向研究中尚待解决的问题进行了总结、并对下一步的研究进行了展望。     

纳米晶枝CuAu合金催化剂对二氧化碳电催化还原性能的研究

利用可再生清洁能源将CO2转化为CO和其他小分子是合成含碳燃料的可观方法之一.间歇性可再生能源存储的重要策略之一是将二氧化碳进行电化学还原.选择具有高活性和稳定性的电催化剂对于电化学还原CO2至关重要.在这项研究中,我们使用简单的电沉积方法合成了具有纳米晶枝状结构的CuAu合金电极.各项表征显示原子比约为1∶1的CuA...     

Ni单原子催化剂表面CO2电还原动力学的电化学谱学解析

针对Ni单原子催化剂表面的CO₂电还原反应(CO₂RR), 提出了以Ni为活性位点的“单中心”机理以及同时借助Ni位点还原和碳氮锚定位水解的“双功能”机理. 依据稳态极化的实验结果, 开展了CO₂RR的动力学解析与模型参数的敏感性分析; 借助暂态模型方程, 分别获取可表达CO₂RR线性与非线性频响特征的电化学阻抗谱(EIS)与总谐波失真(THD)谱. 研究结果表明, CO₂的溶解分压对CO₂RR活性影响最显著. 若CO₂RR遵循“单中心”机理, Ni位点COOH_ads的形成为速率控制步骤; 但若为“双功能”机理, 碳氮锚定位的水解与Ni位点的CO_2,ads还原同为速率控制步骤. EIS理论上可用于区分CO₂RR的“单中心”机理与“双功能”机理; 与之相比, THD谱在CO₂RR的机理识别中并无优势.     

Electrolyte Effects on the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to fuels or commodity chemicals is a reaction of high interest for closing the anthropogenic carbon cycle. The role of the electrolyte is of particular interest, as the interplay between the electrocatalytic surface and the electrolyte plays an important role in determining the outcome of the CO₂ reduction reaction. Therefore, insights on electrolyte effects on the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ are pivotal in designing electrochemical devices that are able to efficiently and selectively convert CO₂ into valuable products. Here, we provide an overview of recently obtained insights on electrolyte effects and we discuss how these insights can be used as design parameters for the construction of new electrocatalytic systems.     

单层含氧缺陷δ-MnO2用于二氧化碳还原

电催化还原二氧化碳成多碳燃料一直是研究的热点. 而找到活性高,选择性优,稳定性好的催化剂一直是研究者们奋斗的目标. 二氧化锰因其独特的物理和化学性质被广泛的应用于电催化领域,而缺陷的调控可以改变催化剂的电子性质,在此次工作中作者系统地研究了在有氧缺陷和没有氧缺陷的二维二氧化锰上的电催化二氧化碳还原反应. 通过利用自旋极化密度泛函理论,作者分别计算了他们的电子性质和分子在吸附过程中的能量值. 结果显示,缺陷的引入改变了二氧化锰的特性,使其从半导体性质变为半金属性质,从而提高催化剂的导电性. 同时,分析能量图也很容易发现对应产品的选择性也发生了变化. 二氧化锰有利于甲酸的产生,而氧缺陷的二氧化锰更有利于一氧化碳的生成. 本研究将为二氧化碳还原的其他非贵金属氧化物催化剂的结构设计和优化提供一定的指导.     

Oxygen Vacancies in ZnO Nanosheets Enhance CO2 Electrochemical Reduction to CO

As electron transfer to CO₂ is generally considered to be the critical step during the activation of CO₂, it is important to develop approaches to engineer the electronic properties of catalysts to improve their performance in CO₂ electrochemical reduction. Herein, we developed an efficient strategy to facilitate CO₂ activation by introducing oxygen vacancies into electrocatalysts with electronic‐rich surface. ZnO nanosheets rich in oxygen vacancies exhibited a current density of ?16.1 mA cm^?2 with a Faradaic efficiency of 83 % for CO production. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the introduction of oxygen vacancies increased the charge density of ZnO around the valence band maximum, resulting in the enhanced activation of CO₂. Mechanistic studies further revealed that the enhancement of CO production by introducing oxygen vacancies into ZnO nanosheets originated from the increased binding strength of CO₂ and the eased CO₂ activation.     

Hydroxide Is Not a Promoter of C2+ Product Formation in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO on Copper

Highly alkaline electrolytes have been shown to improve the formation rate of C₂₊ products in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) on copper surfaces, with the assumption that higher OH^? concentrations promote the C?C coupling chemistry. Herein, by systematically varying the concentration of Na⁺ and OH^? at the same absolute electrode potential, we demonstrate that higher concentrations of cations (Na⁺), rather than OH^?, exert the main promotional effect on the production of C₂₊ products. The impact of the nature and the concentration of cations on the electrochemical reduction of CO is supported by experiments in which a fraction or all of Na⁺ is chelated by a crown ether. Chelation of Na⁺ leads to drastic decrease in the formation rate of C₂₊ products. The promotional effect of OH^? determined at the same potential on the reversible hydrogen electrode scale is likely caused by larger overpotentials at higher electrolyte pH.     

Stability and Degradation Mechanisms of Copper-Based Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

To date, copper is the only monometallic catalyst that can electrochemically reduce CO₂ into high value and energy-dense products, such as hydrocarbons and alcohols. In recent years, great efforts have been directed towards understanding how its nanoscale structure affects activity and selectivity for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Furthermore, many attempts have been made to improve these two properties. Nevertheless, to advance towards applied systems, the stability of the catalysts during electrolysis is of great significance. This aspect, however, remains less investigated and discussed across the CO₂RR literature. In this Minireview, the recent progress on understanding the stability of copper-based catalysts is summarized, along with the very few proposed degradation mechanisms. Finally, our perspective on the topic is given.     

TiO2光催化还原CO2

光催化还原CO₂技术在CO₂的治理与利用方面有着潜在的应用价值和良好的开发前景。该文简要综述了近年来用于光催化还原CO₂反应的TiO₂光催化剂材料,包括纯TiO₂催化剂、负载型TiO₂催化剂、金属改性TiO₂催化剂、半导体复合TiO₂催化剂和有机光敏化TiO₂催化剂等,并介绍了各类催化剂光催化还原CO₂的反应性能。     

Liquid Fluxional Ga Single Atom Catalysts for Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Precise design and tuning of the micro-atomic structure of single atom catalysts (SACs) can help efficiently adapt complex catalytic systems. Herein, we inventively found that when the active center of the main group element gallium (Ga) is downsized to the atomic level, whose characteristic has significant differences from conventional bulk and rigid Ga catalysts. The Ga SACs with a P, S atomic coordination environment display specific flow properties, showing CO products with FE of ≈92 % at −0.3 V vs. RHE in electrochemical CO₂ reduction (CO₂RR). Theoretical simulations demonstrate that the adaptive dynamic transition of Ga optimizes the adsorption energy of the *COOH intermediate and renews the active sites in time, leading to excellent CO₂RR selectivity and stability. This liquid single atom catalysts system with dynamic interfaces lays the foundation for future exploration of synthesis and catalysis.     

Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Ethanol: An Approach to Transforming Greenhouse Gas to Fuel Source

Converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into high-value fuels or chemicals is considered as a promising way to utilize CO₂ and alleviate the excessive greenhouse gas emission. Among multiple catalysis approaches, electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to ethanol has an important prospect due to the high energy density and widely applications of ethanol. In recent years, many electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduce reaction (CO₂RR) have shown promising catalytic activity for ethanol production. In this review, we will introduce the recent progress in this field. The basic principles and electrochemical performances of CO₂RR are reviewed at first. Then, several categories of active electrocatalysts for CO₂RR to ethanol are summarized, including the discussion of reaction mechanism and catalytic sites. Finally, several possible strategies are proposed, providing guidance for future design and preparation of high-performance catalysts.     

双原子位点M-N-C电催化剂在CO2还原反应中活性位点的最佳分布

双原子位点M-N-C催化剂是催化CO₂还原反应(CO₂RR)性能最佳的催化剂之一. 然而, 目前的研究主要集中于M-N-C活性中心原子类型的调控, 低估了活性位点的配位模式及分布对其催化性能的影响. 本文选取典型的双原子位点M-N-C催化剂(NiFe-N-C)为研究对象, 采用密度泛函理论方法探究了9种活性位点具有不同配位环境的NiFe-N-C催化剂电催化CO₂RR的反应机理. 结果表明, 随着金属原子配位数、 双原子位点间距离的增加, M-N-C催化剂的稳定性、 催化CO₂还原至CO的活性及抑制氢析出反应的选择性均呈现先升高后下降的趋势. 其中, 金属原子四配位且对称分布的NiFe-N-C-model 3催化剂, 因其双原子位点的强相互作用表现出最优的催化性能.     

铜基串联催化剂电催化CO2还原的研究进展

化石燃料的燃烧和其他人类活动排放了大量的CO₂气体,引发了诸多环境问题。电催化CO₂还原反应(CO₂RR)可以储存间歇可再生能源,实现人为闭合碳循环,被认为是获得高附加值化学品和燃料的有效途径。电催化CO₂RR涉及多个电子-质子转移步骤,其中^*CO通常被认为是关键中间体。铜由于对^*CO具有合适的吸附能,已被广泛证明是唯一能够有效地将CO₂还原为碳氢化合物和含氧化合物的金属催化剂。然而,纯Cu稳定性差、产品选择性低、过电位高,阻碍了工业级多碳产品的生产。构筑Cu基串联催化剂是提高CO₂RR性能的一种有前途的策略。本文首先介绍电催化CO₂RR的反应路线和串联机理。然后,系统地总结铜基串联催化剂对电催化CO₂RR的最新研究进展。最后,提出合理设计和可控合成新型电催化CO₂RR串联催化剂面临的挑战和机遇。     

Highly Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Alcohols on an FeP Nanoarray

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into various chemicals and fuels provides an attractive pathway for environmental and energy sustainability. It is now shown that a FeP nanoarray on Ti mesh (FeP NA/TM) acts as an efficient 3D catalyst electrode for the CO₂ reduction reaction to convert CO₂ into alcohols with high selectivity. In 0.5 m KHCO₃, such FeP NA/TM is capable of achieving a high Faradaic efficiency (FE ) up to 80.2 %, with a total FE of 94.3 % at ?0.20 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the FeP(211) surface significantly promotes the adsorption and reduction of CO₂ toward CH₃OH owing to the synergistic effect of two adjacent Fe atoms, and the potential‐determining step is the hydrogenation process of *CO.     

Proton Tunneling Distances for Metal Hydrides Formation Manage the Selectivity of Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction

A series of manganese polypyridine complexes were prepared as CO₂ reduction electrocatalysts. Among these catalysts, the intramolecular proton tunneling distance for metal hydride formation (PTD-MH) vary from 2.400 to 2.696 Å while the structural, energetic, and electronic factors remain essentially similar to each other. The experimental and theoretical results revealed that the selectivity of CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is dominated by the intramolecular PTD-MH within a difference of ca. 0.3 Å. Specifically, the catalyst functionalized with a pendent phenol group featuring a slightly longer PTD-MH favors the binding of proton to the [Mn−CO₂] adduct rather than the Mn center and results in ca. 100 % selectivity for CO product. In contrast, decreasing the PTD-MH by attaching a dangling tertiary amine in the same catalyst skeleton facilitates the proton binding on the Mn center and switches the product from CO to HCOOH with a selectivity of 86 %.