Unraveling the Dynamic Structural Evolution of Phthalocyanine Catalysts during CO2 Electroreduction

Abstract

Understanding the atomic and electronic changes of active sites promotes the whole new sight into electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), which provides a feasible strategy to achieve carbon neutrality. Here we employ operando high-energy resolution fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD-XAS) to track the structural evolution of Ni(II) phthalocyanine (NiPc), considered as the model catalysts with uniform Ni-N4-C8 moiety, during the CO2RR. The HERFD-XAS method is in favor of elucidating the interaction of the reactant/catalyst interface from the atomic electronic structure dimension, facilitating the establishment of the catalytic mechanism and the dynamic structure changes. Based on operando measurement, surface sensitive difference spectra (Δµ) and spectroscopy simulation, the interfacial interactions between the active sites of NiPc and reactants are monitored and the Ni species gradually reduced by increasing the applied potential is discovered. HERFD-XAS method offers an advanced and powerful tool for elucidating the complex catalytic mechanism in further various systems.