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Cascade electrocatalysis via AgCu single-atom alloy and Ag nanoparticles in CO2 electroreduction toward multicarbon products

Author

Listed:
  • Cheng Du

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Joel P. Mills

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Asfaw G. Yohannes

    (University of Calgary)

  • Wei Wei

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Lei Wang

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Siyan Lu

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Jian-Xiang Lian

    (University of Calgary)

  • Maoyu Wang

    (X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Tao Guo

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Xiyang Wang

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Hua Zhou

    (X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Cheng-Jun Sun

    (X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory)

  • John Z. Wen

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Brian Kendall

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Martin Couillard

    (National Research Council Canada)

  • Hongsheng Guo

    (National Research Council Canada)

  • ZhongChao Tan

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Samira Siahrostami

    (University of Calgary)

  • Yimin A. Wu

    (University of Waterloo
    University of Waterloo
    University of Waterloo)

Abstract

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction into value-added multicarbon products offers a means to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle using renewable electricity. However, the unsatisfactory catalytic selectivity for multicarbon products severely hinders the practical application of this technology. In this paper, we report a cascade AgCu single-atom and nanoparticle electrocatalyst, in which Ag nanoparticles produce CO and AgCu single-atom alloys promote C-C coupling kinetics. As a result, a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 94 ± 4% toward multicarbon products is achieved with the as-prepared AgCu single-atom and nanoparticle catalyst under ~720 mA cm−2 working current density at −0.65 V in a flow cell with alkaline electrolyte. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that the high multicarbon product selectivity results from cooperation between AgCu single-atom alloys and Ag nanoparticles, wherein the Ag single-atom doping of Cu nanoparticles increases the adsorption energy of *CO on Cu sites due to the asymmetric bonding of the Cu atom to the adjacent Ag atom with a compressive strain.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheng Du & Joel P. Mills & Asfaw G. Yohannes & Wei Wei & Lei Wang & Siyan Lu & Jian-Xiang Lian & Maoyu Wang & Tao Guo & Xiyang Wang & Hua Zhou & Cheng-Jun Sun & John Z. Wen & Brian Kendall & Martin Co, 2023. "Cascade electrocatalysis via AgCu single-atom alloy and Ag nanoparticles in CO2 electroreduction toward multicarbon products," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41871-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41871-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Qitao Chen & Baodong Mao & Yanhong Liu & Yunjie Zhou & Hui Huang & Song Wang & Longhua Li & Wei-Cheng Yan & Weidong Shi & Zhenhui Kang, 2024. "Designing 2D carbon dot nanoreactors for alcohol oxidation coupled with hydrogen evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

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