Morphology Manipulation of Copper Nanocrystals and Product Selectivity in the Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Journal
ACS Catalysis
Journal Issue
9
Pages
5217–5222
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Nian-Tzu Suen
Zhong-Ri Kong
Chia-Shuo Hsu
Hsiao-Chien Chen
Ching-Wei Tung
Ying-Rui Lu
Chung-Li Dong
Chin-Chang Shen
Jen-Chieh Chung
Abstract
We have revealed that cubelike and hexarhombic docadehedron-like Cu single crystals showed an enhancement of C2 products (ethylene and ethanol) while octahedron-like Cu nanoscale single crystals promoted C1 products of CO2 reduction. This product selectivity was revealed to be highly associated with the atomic arrangement on the surface. The remarkable high selectivity of ethanol (faraday efficiency of 25% with 14 mA/cm2, Jethanol ≈ 3.5 mA/cm2) for H–Cu was investigated and unraveled by using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation. It was shown that the binding energy of adsorbed *O atom on the surface is substantial, which causes bifurcation of the reaction pathway and leads to the formation of ethanol.
Type
journal article