Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube-encapsulated nickel nanoparticles assembled on graphene for efficient CO_2 electroreduction

Exploring 3 D hybrid nanocarbons encapsulated with metal nanoparticles(NPs) are recently considered as emerging catalysts for boosting CO_2 electroreduction reaction(CRR) under practical and economic limits.Herein,we report a one-step pyrolysis strategy for fabricating N-doped carbon nanotube(CNT)-encapsulated Ni NPs assembled on the surface of graphene(N/NiNPs@CNT/G) to efficiently convert CO_2 into CO.In such 3 D hybrid,the particle size of Ni NPs that coated by five graphitic carbon layers is less than 100 nm,and the amount of N dopants introduced into graphene with countable CNTs is determined to 7.27 at%.Thanks to unique CNT-encapsulated Ni NPs structure and N dopants,the achieved N/NiNPs@CNT/G hybrid displays an exceptional CRR activity with a high Faradaic efficiency of 97.7% and large CO partial current density of 7.9 mA/cm~2 at-0.7 V,which outperforms those reported metallic NPs loaded carbon based CRR electrocatalysts.Further,a low Tafel slope of 134 mV/dec,a turnover frequency of 387.3 CO/h at-0.9 V,and tiny performance losses during long-term CRR operation are observed on N/NiNPs@CNT/G.Experimental observations illustrate that the Ni NPs encapsulated by carbon layers along with N dopants are of great importance in the conversion of CO_2 into CO with high current density.