Ultrathin ZnIn2S4 nanosheet arrays activated by nitrogen-doped carbon for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction toward ethanol

Abstract

Ternary ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) is a kind of potential electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the reported reduction products are usual C1 species. Considering that N doped carbon can increase adsorption of CO2 molecules, facilitate electron transfer, and activate active sites, here ultrathin ZIS nanosheet arrays (ZIS NSAs) grown on N doped carbon cloth (NDCC) were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized ZIS NSAs/NDCC enabled electrocatalytic CO2RR toward ethanol with the highest 42 % faradaic efficiency (FE) at an applied potential of − 0.7 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in CO2-saturated 0.5 M KHCO3 aqueous solution. This is first report on ZIS-based electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic CO2RR toward ethanol production. The experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that NDCC could enhance the CO2RR activity and promote CO-CO coupling process. Our work not only provides a new electrocatalyst for CO2RR to ethanol but also stresses the influence of N doped carbon substrate and bimetallic effect on electrocatalytic CO2RR.