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Solar reduction of carbon dioxide on copper-tin electrocatalysts with energy conversion efficiency near 20%

Author

Listed:
  • Jing Gao

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Jun Li

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Yuhang Liu

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Meng Xia

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Y. Zou Finfrock

    (Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Dan Ren

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Michael Grätzel

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

Abstract

Copper catalysts modified with tin have been demonstrated to be selective for the electroreduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. However, such catalysts require the precise control of tin loading amount. Here, we develop a copper/tin-oxide catalyst with dominant tin oxide surface being formed via a spontaneous exchange reaction between sputtered tin and copper oxide. Even though the surface of this catalyst is tin-rich, it achieves an excellent performance towards carbon monoxide production in a flow cell. This contrasts with copper/tin-oxide prepared via atomic layer deposition since it yields selectivity towards carbon monoxide only on a copper-rich surface. Mechanism studies reveal that the tin sites on the tin-rich copper/tin-oxide surface achieve a suitable binding with adsorbed carbon monoxide under the presence of copper. Powered by a triple-junction solar cell, the copper/tin-oxide based electrolyzer sets a new benchmark solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency of 19.9 percent with a Faradaic efficiency of 98.9 percent towards carbon monoxide under simulated standard air mass 1.5 global illumination.

Suggested Citation

  • Jing Gao & Jun Li & Yuhang Liu & Meng Xia & Y. Zou Finfrock & Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin & Dan Ren & Michael Grätzel, 2022. "Solar reduction of carbon dioxide on copper-tin electrocatalysts with energy conversion efficiency near 20%," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33049-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33049-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wenhao Ren & Xin Tan & Jiangtao Qu & Sesi Li & Jiantao Li & Xin Liu & Simon P. Ringer & Julie M. Cairney & Kaixue Wang & Sean C. Smith & Chuan Zhao, 2021. "Isolated copper–tin atomic interfaces tuning electrocatalytic CO2 conversion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ji Wei Sun & Xuefeng Wu & Peng Fei Liu & Jiacheng Chen & Yuanwei Liu & Zhen Xin Lou & Jia Yue Zhao & Hai Yang Yuan & Aiping Chen & Xue Lu Wang & Minghui Zhu & Sheng Dai & Hua Gui Yang, 2023. "Scalable synthesis of coordinatively unsaturated metal-nitrogen sites for large-scale CO2 electrolysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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