IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-54630-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intermediate-regulated dynamic restructuring at Ag-Cu biphasic interface enables selective CO2 electroreduction to C2+ fuels

Author

Listed:
  • Xinyang Gao

    (Fudan University)

  • Yongjun Jiang

    (East China University of Science and Technology)

  • Jiyuan Liu

    (Nanyang Technological University)

  • Guoshuai Shi

    (Fudan University)

  • Chunlei Yang

    (Fudan University)

  • Qinshang Xu

    (Fudan University)

  • Yuanqing Yun

    (Fudan University)

  • Yuluo Shen

    (Fudan University)

  • Mingwei Chang

    (Fudan University)

  • Chenyuan Zhu

    (Fudan University)

  • Tingyu Lu

    (Fudan University)

  • Yin Wang

    (Fudan University)

  • Guanchen Du

    (Fudan University)

  • Shuzhou Li

    (Nanyang Technological University)

  • Sheng Dai

    (East China University of Science and Technology)

  • Liming Zhang

    (Fudan University)

Abstract

A bimetallic heterostructure has been shown effective to enhance the multi-carbon (C2+) product selectivity in CO2 electroreduction. Clarifying the interfacial structure under electrolysis and its decisive role in the pathway selection are crucial, yet challenging. Here, we conceive a well-defined Ag-Cu biphasic heterostructure to understand the interfacial structure-steered product selectivity: The Cu-rich interface prefers ethylene, while the dominant product switch to alcohols with an increasing Ag fraction, and finally to CO as Ag occupying the main surface. We unravel a *CO intermediate-regulated interfacial restructuring, and observe abundant of Cu atoms migrating onto the neighboring Ag surface under a locally high *CO concentration. The evolving structure alters the oxyphilic characteristic at the interface, which profoundly determines the hydrogenation energetics of CO2 and ultimately, the dominant C2+ product. This work explicitly links the evolving interfacial structure with distinct C2+ pathway, formulating design guidelines for bimetallic electrocatalysts with selectively enhanced C2+ yields.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyang Gao & Yongjun Jiang & Jiyuan Liu & Guoshuai Shi & Chunlei Yang & Qinshang Xu & Yuanqing Yun & Yuluo Shen & Mingwei Chang & Chenyuan Zhu & Tingyu Lu & Yin Wang & Guanchen Du & Shuzhou Li & Shen, 2024. "Intermediate-regulated dynamic restructuring at Ag-Cu biphasic interface enables selective CO2 electroreduction to C2+ fuels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-54630-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54630-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54630-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-54630-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cameron Hepburn & Ella Adlen & John Beddington & Emily A. Carter & Sabine Fuss & Niall Mac Dowell & Jan C. Minx & Pete Smith & Charlotte K. Williams, 2019. "The technological and economic prospects for CO2 utilization and removal," Nature, Nature, vol. 575(7781), pages 87-97, November.
    2. Jin Zhang & Chenxi Guo & Susu Fang & Xiaotong Zhao & Le Li & Haoyang Jiang & Zhaoyang Liu & Ziqi Fan & Weigao Xu & Jianping Xiao & Miao Zhong, 2023. "Accelerating electrochemical CO2 reduction to multi-carbon products via asymmetric intermediate binding at confined nanointerfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Pengtang Wang & Hao Yang & Cheng Tang & Yu Wu & Yao Zheng & Tao Cheng & Kenneth Davey & Xiaoqing Huang & Shi-Zhang Qiao, 2022. "Boosting electrocatalytic CO2–to–ethanol production via asymmetric C–C coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. 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.
    5. Jianfeng Huang & Nicolas Hörmann & Emad Oveisi & Anna Loiudice & Gian Luca De Gregorio & Oliviero Andreussi & Nicola Marzari & Raffaella Buonsanti, 2018. "Potential-induced nanoclustering of metallic catalysts during electrochemical CO2 reduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Yuvraj Y. Birdja & Elena Pérez-Gallent & Marta C. Figueiredo & Adrien J. Göttle & Federico Calle-Vallejo & Marc T. M. Koper, 2019. "Advances and challenges in understanding the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(9), pages 732-745, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shifu Wang & Fuhua Li & Jian Zhao & Yaqiong Zeng & Yifan Li & Zih-Yi Lin & Tsung-Ju Lee & Shuhui Liu & Xinyi Ren & Weijue Wang & Yusen Chen & Sung-Fu Hung & Ying-Rui Lu & Yi Cui & Xiaofeng Yang & Xuni, 2024. "Manipulating C-C coupling pathway in electrochemical CO2 reduction for selective ethylene and ethanol production over single-atom alloy catalyst," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Kaili Yao & Jun Li & Adnan Ozden & Haibin Wang & Ning Sun & Pengyu Liu & Wen Zhong & Wei Zhou & Jieshu Zhou & Xi Wang & Hanqi Liu & Yongchang Liu & Songhua Chen & Yongfeng Hu & Ziyun Wang & David Sint, 2024. "In situ copper faceting enables efficient CO2/CO electrolysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Subrato Acharjya & Jiacheng Chen & Minghui Zhu & Chong Peng, 2021. "Elucidating the reactivity and nature of active sites for tin phthalocyanine during CO2 reduction," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 11(6), pages 1191-1197, December.
    4. Jiaqi Feng & Limin Wu & Xinning Song & Libing Zhang & Shunhan Jia & Xiaodong Ma & Xingxing Tan & Xinchen Kang & Qinggong Zhu & Xiaofu Sun & Buxing Han, 2024. "CO2 electrolysis to multi-carbon products in strong acid at ampere-current levels on La-Cu spheres with channels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Yan Shen & Chunjin Ren & Lirong Zheng & Xiaoyong Xu & Ran Long & Wenqing Zhang & Yong Yang & Yongcai Zhang & Yingfang Yao & Haoqiang Chi & Jinlan Wang & Qing Shen & Yujie Xiong & Zhigang Zou & Yong Zh, 2023. "Room-temperature photosynthesis of propane from CO2 with Cu single atoms on vacancy-rich TiO2," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Xiao Chen & Shuaiqiang Jia & Jianxin Zhai & Jiapeng Jiao & Mengke Dong & Cheng Xue & Ting Deng & Hailian Cheng & Zhanghui Xia & Chunjun Chen & Xueqing Xing & Jianrong Zeng & Haihong Wu & Mingyuan He &, 2024. "Multivalent Cu sites synergistically adjust carbonaceous intermediates adsorption for electrocatalytic ethanol production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Xin Yu Zhang & Zhen Xin Lou & Jiacheng Chen & Yuanwei Liu & Xuefeng Wu & Jia Yue Zhao & Hai Yang Yuan & Minghui Zhu & Sheng Dai & Hai Feng Wang & Chenghua Sun & Peng Fei Liu & Hua Gui Yang, 2023. "Direct OC-CHO coupling towards highly C2+ products selective electroreduction over stable Cu0/Cu2+ interface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Li Zhang & Xiaoju Yang & Qing Yuan & Zhiming Wei & Jie Ding & Tianshu Chu & Chao Rong & Qiao Zhang & Zhenkun Ye & Fu-Zhen Xuan & Yueming Zhai & Bowei Zhang & Xuan Yang, 2023. "Elucidating the structure-stability relationship of Cu single-atom catalysts using operando surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Chen, Jiateng & Xu, Le & Shen, Boxiong, 2024. "Recent advances in tandem electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    10. Philipp Grosse & Aram Yoon & Clara Rettenmaier & Antonia Herzog & See Wee Chee & Beatriz Roldan Cuenya, 2021. "Dynamic transformation of cubic copper catalysts during CO2 electroreduction and its impact on catalytic selectivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Junyuan Duan & Tianyang Liu & Yinghe Zhao & Ruoou Yang & Yang Zhao & Wenbin Wang & Youwen Liu & Huiqiao Li & Yafei Li & Tianyou Zhai, 2022. "Active and conductive layer stacked superlattices for highly selective CO2 electroreduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. 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.
    13. Sung-Fu Hung & Aoni Xu & Xue Wang & Fengwang Li & Shao-Hui Hsu & Yuhang Li & Joshua Wicks & Eduardo González Cervantes & Armin Sedighian Rasouli & Yuguang C. Li & Mingchuan Luo & Dae-Hyun Nam & Ning W, 2022. "A metal-supported single-atom catalytic site enables carbon dioxide hydrogenation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    14. Peng, Wanxi & Chuong Nguyen, Thi Hong & Nguyen, Dang Le Tri & Wang, Ting & Van Thi Tran, Thi & Le, Trung Hieu & Le, Hai Khoa & Grace, Andrews Nirmala & Singh, Pardeep & Raizadaa, Pankaj & Nguyen Dinh,, 2021. "A roadmap towards the development of superior photocatalysts for solar- driven CO2-to-fuels production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    15. Guido Busca, 2024. "Critical Aspects of Energetic Transition Technologies and the Roles of Materials Chemistry and Engineering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-32, July.
    16. Michael Carus & Lara Dammer & Achim Raschka & Pia Skoczinski, 2020. "Renewable carbon: Key to a sustainable and future‐oriented chemical and plastic industry: Definition, strategy, measures and potential," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 10(3), pages 488-505, June.
    17. Kang Yang & Ming Li & Tianqi Gao & Guoliang Xu & Di Li & Yao Zheng & Qiang Li & Jingjing Duan, 2024. "An acid-tolerant metal-organic framework for industrial CO2 electrolysis using a proton exchange membrane," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    18. Joey Disch & Luca Bohn & Susanne Koch & Michael Schulz & Yiyong Han & Alessandro Tengattini & Lukas Helfen & Matthias Breitwieser & Severin Vierrath, 2022. "High-resolution neutron imaging of salt precipitation and water transport in zero-gap CO2 electrolysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    19. Moreaux, Michel & Amigues, Jean-Pierre & van der Meijden, Gerard & Withagen, Cees, 2024. "Carbon capture: Storage vs. Utilization," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    20. Tihamér Tibor Sebestyén, 2024. "Evaluation of the Carbon Footprint of Wooden Glamping Structures by Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-27, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-54630-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.