CO2 Reduction Reaction Activity Research Articles

Boosting the Electroreduction of CO2 to CO by Ligand Engineering of Gold Nanoclusters.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been widely studied as a promising means to convert anthropogenic CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. In this process, the alkali metal ions present in the electrolyte are known to significantly influence the CO2RR activity and selectivity. In this study, we report a strategy for preparing efficient electrocatalysts by introducing a cation-relaying ligand, namely 6-mercaptohexanoic acid (MHA), into atom-precise Au25 nanoclusters (NCs). The CO2RR activity of the synthesized Au25(MHA)18 NCs was compared with that of Au25(HT)18 NCs (HT=1-hexanethiolate). While both NCs selectively produced CO over H2, the CO2-to-CO conversion activity of the Au25(MHA)18 NCs was significantly higher than that of the Au25(HT)18 NCs when the catholyte pH was higher than the pKa of MHA, demonstrating the cation-relaying effect of the anionic terminal group. Mechanistic investigations into the CO2RR occurring on the Au25 NCs in the presence of different catholyte cations and concentrations revealed that the CO2-to-CO conversion activities of these Au25 NCs increased in the order Li+<Na+<K+<Cs+, and are gated by the cation-coupled electron transfer step. These results were confirmed by the Nernstian shifts of the polarization curves at different cation concentrations.

Covalent organic framework with bioinspired N,S-anchored single atom sites for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has promising potential to address global energy and environmental challenges but is severely limited by sluggish kinetics and poor selectivity, where the chemical microenvironments and electronic structures of the catalytic center play pivotal roles. Herein, inspired by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, which can accelerate CO2 to CO reduction, we delicately design a covalent organic framework (THD-COF) with bioinspired N,S-coordination sites from thiophene and imine modules on the skeleton and construct Co-THD-COF by anchoring single Co atoms on the N,S-sites. Under visible light, employing binary mixed sacrificial agents, with the help of photosensitizer [Ru(bpy)3]Cl2·6H2O, Co-THD-COF displays dramatically enhanced photocatalytic CO2RR activity, exhibiting an astounding CO generating rate of 9357 μmol g−1h−1 with the selectivity of 95.1 %. Additionally, Co-THD-COF can photocatalyze CO2 conversion smoothly in real seawater without loss of CO selectivity. Experimental and computational analysis further manifest that the single Co atom is the catalytic active center. Co-THD-COF significantly promotes CO2 adsorption and activation, charge separation dynamics, and is also beneficial to the formation of the crucial *COOH intermediates. The current study offers deep insights into the effective conversion of CO2 and enlightens the design of novel bioinspired coordination sites for single-atom photocatalysts.

Internal electric field-modulated dual S-scheme ZnO@Co3O4/CsPbBr3 nanocages for highly active and selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The rational design of a step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction with strong internal electric field (IEF) and high redox capacity is a promising strategy for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the precise process of charge transport on the multi-interfaces remains a great challenge. Herein, a dual S-scheme heterojunction constructed in the ZnO@Co3O4/CsPbBr3 hierarchical nanocage was prepared for enhancing CO2RR activity. Without sacrificial agent and photosensitizer, the optimal photocatalyst exhibits a competitive CH4 yield rate of 238.8 μmol g−1h−1 with high selectivity (90.9%), affording an apparent quantum efficiency of 4.6 % at 400 nm, outperforming most previously comparable photocatalysts. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (in situ XPS), photoelectrochemical measurement and theoretical calculation verifies the dual S-schematic charge-transport pathway. The remarkably improved performance in CO2RR is due to the rapid charge separation through O-Co-Br bridge driven by the strong internal electric field. This research furnishes a new insight to reveal dynamic charge transfer mechanism for CO2 conversion applications.

Boosting the Electroreduction of CO2 to CO by Ligand Engineering of Gold Nanoclusters

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been widely studied as a promising means to convert anthropogenic CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. In this process, the alkali metal ions present in the electrolyte are known to significantly influence the CO2RR activity and selectivity. In this study, we report a strategy for preparing efficient electrocatalysts by introducing a cation‐relaying ligand, namely 6‐mercaptohexanoic acid (MHA), into atom‐precise Au25 nanoclusters (NCs). The CO2RR activity of the synthesized Au25(MHA)18 NCs was compared with that of Au25(HT)18 NCs (HT = 1‐hexanethiolate). While both NCs selectively produced CO over H2, the CO2‐to‐CO conversion activity of the Au25(MHA)18 NCs was significantly higher than that of the Au25(HT)18 NCs when the catholyte pH was higher than the pKa of MHA, demonstrating the cation‐relaying effect of the anionic terminal group. Mechanistic investigations into the CO2RR occurring on the Au25 NCs in the presence of different catholyte cations and concentrations revealed that the CO2‐to‐CO conversion activities of these Au25 NCs increased in the order Li+ &lt; Na+ &lt; K+ &lt; Cs+, and are gated by the cation‐coupled electron transfer step. These results were confirmed by the Nernstian shifts of the polarization curves at different cation concentrations.

Coordination-based synthesis of Fe single-atom anchored nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibrous membrane for CO2 electroreduction with nearly 100% CO selectivity

Carbon-based materials with single-atom (SA) transition metals coordinated with nitrogen (M-Nx) have attracted extensive attention due to their superior electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) performance. However, the uncontrolled recombination of metal atoms during the typical high-temperature synthesis process in M-Nx causes deterioration of CO2RR activity. Herein, by using electrospinning, we propose a novel strategy for constructing a highly active and selective SA Fe-modified N-doped porous carbon fiber membrane catalyst (Fe-N-CF). This carbon membrane has an interconnected three-dimensional structure and a hierarchical porous structure, which can not only confine Fe to be single atom as active centers, but also provide a diffusion channel for CO2 molecules. Relying on its special structure and stable mechanical properties, Fe-N-CF is directly used for CO2RR, which presents an excellent selectivity (CO Faradaic efficiency of 97%) and stability. DFT calculations reveals that the synthesized Fe-N4-C can significantly reduce the energy barrier for intermediate COOH* formation and CO desorption. This work highlights the specific advantages of using electrospinning method to prepare the optimal SA catalysts.

Elaborate Modulating Binding Strength of Intermediates via Three-component Covalent Organic Frameworks for CO2 Reduction Reaction.

The catalytic performance for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) depends on the binding strength of the reactants and intermediates. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been adopted to catalyze CO2RR, and their binding abilities are tuned via constructing donor-acceptor (DA) systems. However, most DA COFs have single donor and acceptor units, which caused wide-range but lacking accuracy in modulating the binding strength of intermediates. More elaborate regulation of the interactions with intermediates are necessary and challenge to construct high-efficiency catalysts. Herein, the three-component COF with D-A-A units was first constructed by introducing electron-rich diarylamine unit, electron-deficient benzothiazole and Co-porphyrin units. Compared with two-component COFs, the designed COF exhibit elevated electronic conductivity, enhanced reducibility, high efficiency charge transfer, further improving the electrocatalytic CO2RR performance with the faradic efficiency of 97.2 % at -0.8 V and high activity with the partial current density of 27.85 mA cm-2 at -1.0 V which exceed other two-component COFs. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that catalytic sites in three-component COF have suitable binding ability of the intermediates, which are benefit for formation of *COOH and desorption of *CO. This work offers valuable insights for the advancement of multi-component COFs, enabling modulated charge transfer to improve the CO2RR activity.

Elaborate Modulating Binding Strength of Intermediates via Three‐component Covalent Organic Frameworks for CO2 Reduction Reaction

AbstractThe catalytic performance for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) depends on the binding strength of the reactants and intermediates. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been adopted to catalyze CO2RR, and their binding abilities are tuned via constructing donor‐acceptor (DA) systems. However, most DA COFs have single donor and acceptor units, which caused wide‐range but lacking accuracy in modulating the binding strength of intermediates. More elaborate regulation of the interactions with intermediates are necessary and challenge to construct high‐efficiency catalysts. Herein, the three‐component COF with D‐A‐A units was first constructed by introducing electron‐rich diarylamine unit, electron‐deficient benzothiazole and Co‐porphyrin units. Compared with two‐component COFs, the designed COF exhibit elevated electronic conductivity, enhanced reducibility, high efficiency charge transfer, further improving the electrocatalytic CO2RR performance with the faradic efficiency of 97.2 % at −0.8 V and high activity with the partial current density of 27.85 mA cm−2 at −1.0 V which exceed other two‐component COFs. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that catalytic sites in three‐component COF have suitable binding ability of the intermediates, which are benefit for formation of *COOH and desorption of *CO. This work offers valuable insights for the advancement of multi‐component COFs, enabling modulated charge transfer to improve the CO2RR activity.

Cr2O3 promotes the catalytic performance of Bi-based catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction to HCOOH

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to formic acid is a much-anticipated way of converting excess CO2 to high-value-added products. Bismuth (Bi)-based materials are promising catalysts, but remain challenging in terms of activity and selectivity. Herein, we reported a composition manipulation strategy to achieve simultaneous high activity and selectivity for CO2RR towards formate by incorporating Lewis acid Cr2O3 into Bi. Specifically, a novel Bi-Cr2O3 crystalline-amorphous catalyst was prepared by electroreduction of bismuth chromate (Bi2(CrO4)3). The as-prepared catalyst shows nano-dendrites structure, promising the maximum exposure of active sites. The obtained Bi-Cr2O3 catalyst exhibits a high Faradic efficiency (FEformate, 93.3 %) at −1.1 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and can achieve a remarkable current density of −40.7 mA cm−2 at the same potential. Meanwhile, the FEformate remains above 90 % over a wide potential window (−0.8 ∼ −1.2 V vs RHE) and the stability can maintain for 13 h at −0.9 V vs RHE with high selectivity (>90 %) and stable physical phase. Furthermore, the Zn-CO2 battery assembled with a Bi-Cr2O3 catalyst achieves the greatest power density of 4.63 mW cm−2 and could maintain cyclic charge/discharge stability for 40 h.

Targeted C-O bond cleavage of *CH2CHO at copper active sites for efficient electrosynthesis of ethylene from CO2 reduction

*CH2CHO, a pivotal intermediate in CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) on copper-based catalysts, hinges on the strength of Cu-C and C-O bonds for the selective production of ethanol and ethylene. However, the targeted cleavage of these bonds at Cu active sites presents a formidable challenge. In this study, we manipulated the selective C-O bond breaking at Cu through an electron enrichment strategy, steering the reaction towards ethylene synthesis. Both experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that Gd incorporation elevates electron density at Cu sites, thereby enhancing Cu-O interaction and concurrently weakening the C-O bond at the critical Cu-*O-CHCH2 bifurcation point. Notably, Gd-doped Cu2O (Gd-Cu2O) demonstrated a 1.43-fold increase in the ethylene/CO ratio relative to undoped Cu2O. This alteration steers the reaction mechanism towards ethylene generation. Our study highlights the pivotal role of regulating reaction intermediates in optimizing activity and selectivity of CO2RR in copper-based catalysts, providing valuable insights for future catalyst development.

MOF‐derived 1D/3D N‐doped porous carbon for spatially confined electrochemical CO2 reduction to adjustable syngas

AbstractElectrochemical reduction of CO2 to syngas (CO and H2) offers an efficient way to mitigate carbon emissions and store intermittent renewable energy in chemicals. Herein, the hierarchical one‐dimensional/three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (1D/3D NPC) is prepared by carbonizing the composite of Zn‐MOF‐74 crystals in situ grown on a commercial melamine sponge (MS), for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The 1D/3D NPC exhibits a high CO/H2 ratio (5.06) and CO yield (31 mmol g−1 h−1) at −0.55 V, which are 13.7 times and 21.4 times those of 1D porous carbon (derived from Zn‐MOF‐74) and N‐doped carbon (carbonized by MS), respectively. This is attributed to the unique spatial environment of 1D/3D NPC, which increases the adsorption capacity of CO2 and promotes electron transfer from the 3D N‐doped carbon framework to 1D carbon, improving the reaction kinetics of CO2RR. Experimental results and charge density difference plots indicate that the active site of CO2RR is the positively charged carbon atom adjacent to graphitic N on 1D carbon and the active site of HER is the pyridinic N on 1D carbon. The presence of pyridinic N and pyrrolic N reduces the number of electron transfer, decreasing the reaction kinetics and the activity of CO2RR. The CO/H2 ratio is related to the distribution of N species and the specific surface area, which are determined by the degree of spatial confinement effect. The CO/H2 ratios can be regulated by adjusting the carbonization temperature to adjust the degree of spatial confinement effect. Given the low cost of feedstock and easy strategy, 1D/3D NPC catalysts have great potential for industrial application.

Cobalt phthalocyanine promoted copper catalysts toward enhanced electro reduction of CO2 to C2: Synergistic catalysis or tandem catalysis?

The activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to C2 products on metal catalysts can be regulated by molecular surfactants. However, the mechanism behind it remains elusive and debatable. Herein, copper nanowires (Cu NWs) were fabricated and decorated with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc). The electronic interaction between the Cu NWs, CoPc, CO2 and CO2RR intermediates were explored by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was found that the selectivity and activity of CO2RR towards C2 products on Cu NWs were considerably enhanced from 35.2% to 69.9% by surface decoration of CoPc. DFT calculations revealed that CO2RR can proceed in the interphase between Cu substrate and CoPc, and the CO2RR intermediates could synergistically bond with both Cu and Co metal centre in CuNWs-CoPc, which favours the adsorption of CO2, CO and CO2RR intermediates, thus reducing the free energy for CO-CO coupling towards C2 products. The synergistic interaction was further extended to phthalocyanine (Pc) and other metal phthalocyanine derivatives (MPc), where a relatively weaker synergistic interaction of CO intermediates with MPc and Cu substrate and only a slight enhancement of CO2RR towards C2 products were observed. This study demonstrates a synergistic catalysis pathway for CO2RR, a novel perspective in interpreting the role of CoPc in enhancing the activity and selectivity of CO2RR on Cu NWs, in contrast to the conventional tandem catalysis mechanism.

Screening of Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn high-entropy alloy catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction by machine-learning-accelerated density functional theory

High-entropy-alloy (HEA) catalysts have been used in many challenging electrocatalytic reactions, e.g., CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their promising properties. For CO2RR catalysts, tuning metal compositions in Cu-based catalysts is one of the techniques to control the desired products. Thus, this work investigated the optimal composition of Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn HEA catalysts using high-throughput screening (HTS) for CO2RR targeting on two competing routes toward CH4 and CH3OH products. The screening protocol evaluates catalytic activity through adsorption energy (Eads) of *CO2, *CO, *COOH, and *H. At the same time, the selectivity is represented by Eads of *COH, *CH4, *CHO, and *CH3OH, using density functional theory (DFT) accelerated by machine learning techniques. The screening result from 11,920 data revealed 259 candidates for CH4-selective and 4,214 for CH3OH-selective catalysts. Interestingly, the Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn excellently prevented competitive hydrogen evolution reaction by up to 90%. Optimal composition for each route are Cu0.1Mn0.4Ni0.2Zn0.3 and Cu0.2Mn0.4Ni0.1Zn0.3 in CH4-selective route and Cu0.3Mn0.3Ni0.2Zn0.2, Cu0.3Mn0.2Ni0.3Zn0.2, Cu0.3Mn0.2Ni0.2Zn0.3, and Cu0.2Mn0.3Ni0.3Zn0.2 in CH3OH-selective route. The optimal catalyst structure with high CO2RR activity in both routes was revealed to have the Mn atom as an active site, while Cu, Ni, and Zn as neighboring atoms. Hence, the Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn HEA catalyst is the promising electrocatalyst for CO2RR.

Synergistic electronic structure modulation in single-atomic Ni sites dispersed on Ni nanoparticles encapsulated in N-rich carbon nanotubes synthesized at low temperature for efficient CO2 electrolysis

Ni, N-doped carbon materials (Ni–N–C) are prosperous candidates for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their outstanding activity and selectivity. However, the role of the coexisting uncoordinated N-doped sites and Ni nanoparticles (Ni-NPs) in overall CO2RR has been overlooked in prior studies. To address this gap, a low temperature synthesis method developed for Ni-NP-encapsulated Ni–N–C nanotube (Ni-NCNT) catalysts with atomically dispersed Ni–N4 and abundant uncoordinated N-doped sites, where Ni-NPs increase the electron density on Ni–N–C nanotube through carbon network and synergistically enhances the CO2RR activity. The systematic analysis reveals the cooperative role of Ni-NPs and uncoordinated N-doped sites in altering the electronic structure of Ni–N4 sites. The results of control experimental studies confirm the synergistic interaction of uncoordinated N-doped sites boost the CO2RR activity of Ni–N4 sites. Additionally, density functional theory calculations show that the strong interaction between the Ni-NPs and Ni–N–C did not affect the electronic structures of the Ni–N4 centers, but rather alter the electronic structure of uncoordinated pyridinic-N sites. This variation led to decreased the energy barriers of rate-limiting steps of COOH* formation on Ni–N4 and N-doped sites, resulting in excellent CO2RR performance.

Charge‐switchable ligand ameliorated cobalt polyphthalocyanine polymers for high‐current‐density electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

AbstractMetallic phthalocyanines are promising electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, their catalytic activity and stability (especially under high potential) are still unsatisfactory. Herein, we synthesized a covalent organic polymer (COP‐CoPc) by introducing charge‐switchable viologen ligands into cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc). The COP‐CoPc exhibits great activity for CO2RR, including a high Faradaic efficiency over a wide potential window and the highest CO partial current density among all ligand‐tuned phthalocyanine catalysts reported in the H‐type cell. Particularly, COP‐CoPc also shows great potential for practical applications, for example, a FECO of &gt;95% is realized at a large current density of 150 mA/cm2 in a two‐electrode membrane electrode assembly reactor. Ex situ and in situ X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy measurements and theory calculations reveal that when the charge‐switchable viologen ligands switch to neutral‐state ones, they can act as electron donors to enrich the electron density of Co centers in COP‐CoPc and enhance the desorption of *CO, thus improving the CO selectivity. Moreover, the excellent reversible redox capability of viologen ligands and the increased Co–N bonding strength in the Co–N4 sites enable COP‐CoPc to possess outstanding stability under elevated potentials and currents, enriching the knowledge of charge‐switchable ligands tailored CO2RR performance.

Composite interfaces of g-C3N4 fragments loaded on a Cu substrate for CO2 reduction.

Designing an electrocatalyst with high efficiency and product selectivity is always crucial for an electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Inspired by the great progress of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials growing on Cu surfaces and their promising CO2RR catalytic efficiencies at their interfaces, the unique performance of Cu-based 2D materials as high-efficiency and low-cost CO2RR electrocatalysts has attracted extensive attention. Herein, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we proposed a composite structure of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) fragments loaded on a Cu surface to explore the CO2RR catalytic property of the interface between g-C3N4 and the Cu surface. Three composite interfaces of C3N4/Cu(111), C3N4/Cu(110) and C3N4/Cu(100) have been studied by considering the reaction sites of vertex nitrogen atoms, edge nitrogen atoms and the nearby Cu atoms. It was found that the C3N4/Cu interfaces where nitrogen atoms contact the Cu substrate present competitive CO2RR activity. Among them, C3N4/Cu(111)-N3 exhibited a better activity for CH3OH production, with a low overpotential of 0.38 V. For HCOOH and CH4 production, C3N4/Cu(111)-Cu and C3N4/Cu(100)-N1 have overpotentials of 0.26 V and 0.44 V. The electronic analysis indicates the electron transfer from the Cu substrate to the g-C3N4 fragment and mainly accumulates on the nitrogen atoms of the interface. Such charge accumulation can activate the adsorbed CO bond of CO2 and lead to lower energetic barriers of CO2RR. DFT calculations indicate that the boundary nitrogen sites reduced the energy barrier of *CHO, which is crucial for CO2RR, compared with that of the pristine Cu surface. Our study explores a new Cu-based electrocatalyst and indicates that the C3N4/Cu interface can enhance the activities and selectivity of CO2RR and open a new strategy to design high-efficiency electrocatalysts for CO2RR.

Electrospun Polymer Supported Cux O Nanostructures for CO2 Reduction Reaction

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to value-added products is a promising approach for mitigating the impact of CO2 emissions on the environment [1]. Copper oxide (CuO) and copper oxide (Cu2O) have been identified as effective catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their unique electronic properties [2]. Electrospinning is a versatile and efficient technique for the fabrication of high surface area polymer (P) nanofibers which enables a promising range of applications in energy storage and conversion [3].In this study, we investigate the synthesis of CuxO-incorporated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PAN/polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers via electrospinning and evaluate their performance as a catalyst for CO2RR. The CuxO/P nanofibers were characterized by various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.The results revealed that CuxO nanoparticles were dispersed on the surface of the polymer nanofibers. The XRD analysis confirmed the presence of crystalline CuxO nanoparticles in the nanofibers. The FTIR spectra indicated that CuxO was successfully incorporated into the polymer nanofibers without new chemical bond formation between CuxO and PAN.The catalytic performance of CuxO/P nanofibers was evaluated for CO2RR in a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The CuxO/P nanofibers showed a significantly enhanced catalytic activity for CO2RR. Moreover, the CuxO/P nanofibers showed good stability during the electrochemical CO2RR.The enhanced catalytic performance of CuxO/P nanofibers can be attributed to the unique electronic properties of CuxO nanoparticles, which can facilitate the adsorption and activation of CO2 molecules. Furthermore, the high surface area and porous structure of the polymer nanofibers provide abundant active sites for the CO2RR. The dispersion of CuxO nanoparticles on the surface of the polymer nanofibers can also enhance electron transfer and reduce charge transfer resistance during the CO2RR.In conclusion, CuxO-incorporated polymer nanofibers were successfully synthesized by electrospinning and showed excellent catalytic activity for CO2RR. The CuxO/P nanofibers exhibited high selectivity and stability for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to useful chemicals. These findings suggest that CuxO/P nanofibers have great potential as an efficient catalyst for CO2RR and could contribute to the development of sustainable energy conversion and storage systems.[1] A. Aljabour, D. H. Apaydin, H. Coskun, F. Ozel, M. Ersoz, P. Stadler, N. S. Sariciftci, and M. Kus, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 8 (46), 31695-31701 (2016).[2] R. W. Abebe, H. Zanling, Z. Pengxiang, H. Liangsheng, A. Didier, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 454, 214340 (2022).[3] A. Aljabour, ChemistrySelect 5, 7482 (2020). Figure 1

High-throughput Compositional Screening of PdxTi1-xHy and PdxNb1-xHy Hydrides for CO2 Reduction.

Electrochemical experiments and theoretical calculations have shown that Pd-based metal hydrides can perform well for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Our previous work on doped-PdH showed that doping Ti and Nb into PdH can improve the CO2RR activity, suggesting that the Pd alloy hydrides with better performance are likely to be found in the PdxTi1-xHy and PdxNb1-xHy phase space. However, the vast compositional and structural space with different alloy hydride compositions and surface adsorbates, makes it intractable to screen out the stable and active PdxM1-xHy catalysts using density functional theory calculations. Herein, an active learning cluster expansion (ALCE) surrogate model equipped with Monte Carlo simulated annealing (MCSA), a CO* binding energy filter and a kinetic model are used to identify promising PdxTi1-xHy and PdxNb1-xHy catalysts with high stability and superior activity. Using our approach, we identify 24 stable and active candidates of PdxTi1-xHy and 5 active candidates of PdxNb1-xHy. Among these candidates, the Pd0.23Ti0.77H, Pd0.19Ti0.81H0.94, and Pd0.17Nb0.83H0.25 are predicted to display current densities of approximately 5.1, 5.1 and 4.6 μA cm-2 at -0.5 V overpotential, respectively, which are significantly higher than that of PdH at 3.7 μA cm-2.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the coordination effect on photocatalytic CO2 reduction efficiency of cobalt single atom catalyst

Visible-light-driven carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, which converts CO2 into value-added fuels, is an intriguing strategy to simultaneously mitigate the energy crisis and achieve a carbon–neutral economy. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with homogeneously dispersed definite active sites and adjustable coordination environments show great potential in catalyzing photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). According to previously reported studies, the catalytic performance of SACs applied in various fields has a great relationship with their local coordination environment of metal centers. However, in-depth investigation of the coordination effect, which has been widely explored to regulate the electronic structure of SACs, on the activity, selectivity, and stability of CO2 photoreduction has never been reported. Herein, a series of Co single atom photocatalysts with diverse N coordination number (CoSA-Nx/C, x = 2, 3, and 4) were synthesized and their photocatalytic CO2RR performance was examined. Theoretical and experimental investigation demonstrated that the photocatalytic CO2RR activity of Co SACs can be effectively adjusted by fine-regulating the N coordination. The optimal CoSA-N2/C photocatalyst with two-coordinate N atoms with increased unoccupied Co 3d electronic orbitals possesses enhanced CO2 adsorption and activation as well as reduced energy barrier for *COOH intermediate generation, thus showing superior photoconversion of CO2-to-CO performance with 10110 μmol g−1h−1 CO evolution yield, 82.6 % CO selectivity, and long-term stability. This work promotes the future rationally design and synthesis of photocatalysts applied in targeted reactions at atomic scale.

Facile synthesis of single‐nickel‐atomic dispersed mesoporous carbon nanosheets with controllable nitrogen doping for efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction

AbstractThe catalytic conversion of CO2 into high value‐added chemical products driven by electricity was an effective strategy to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. The development of high efficiency catalysts had always been the core for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. The single transition metal sites anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon showed great potential in CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In this paper, the atomically dispersed Ni−N sites are constructed on the two‐dimensional mesoporous carbon nanosheets by the secondary pyrolysis method. The rich mesoporous structure of the two‐dimensional nanosheets is beneficial to CO2 diffusion and adsorption during CO2RR, and the high nitrogen contents could increase the Ni single atom loadings. The nitrogen content and type could be controlled by regulating the ratio of nitrogen source to carbon source, and the catalyst activity is improved as the proportion of nitrogen sources increases. When the ratio of nitrogen source to carbon source is four, the oxidation state of Ni single atoms Ni@NMCN4 is between 0 and +2, and Ni single atoms exists as Ni−N4 structure with pyridinic N of 32.78 %, which exhibits the best electrochemical CO2RR activity. The active site of Ni@NMCN4 is confirmed as the highly stable Ni single atoms. Moreover, the pyridinic N species are proved to play an important role in enhancing the CO2 electroreduction performance. This work provides a new perspective to adjust the nitrogen content and type in transition metal monatomic‐N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts for CO2RR.

In-situ synthesis of single-atom CoNx clusters-decorated TiO2 for highly efficient charge separation and CO2 photoreduction

Solar-driven CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to produce chemical fuels is an attractive way to alleviate the greenhouse effect and energy crisis. Herein, a novel single-atom CoNx clusters-decorated TiO2 (CoNx/TiO2) is synthesized in situ by calcining a composite derived from immersing a metal organic framework (Mil-125) into cobalt tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (CoPy4) solution. The resultant CoNx/TiO2 delivers an excellent CO2RR activity with CO/CH4 yields of 24.4/119.9 μmol g−1 h−1, corresponding an overall photoactivity of 1007.6 μmol g−1 h−1, 10.6 time higher than that of TiO2 alone. It is found that CoPy4 molecules can enter Mil-125′s micropores, which helps to pyrolyze CoPy4 into highly dispersed single-atom-contained CoNx clusters and to form strong interaction with the primary nanoparticles of TiO2quasi-nanocube-like aggregated particles derived from Mil-125. These factors of CoNx/TiO2 enable efficient photogenerated charge separation, strong chemical adsorption to reactants and high atom utilization, thus providing a new strategy for constructing TiO2-based photocatalysts with highly dispersed single-atom catalytic sites for CO2 photoreduction.