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.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 10331 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2024 |
Externally published | Yes |
Funding
This work is funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFA1505200), Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 22072030, 22272029, and 22376062), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Grant 22520711100, 22ZR1415700, and 23ZR1406900), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (20720220008), Shanghai Rising-star Program (20QA1402400), Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (No. RG5/22), Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE-T2EP10220-0005), Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE-T2EP20221-0004) and the computing resources from National Supercomputing Center Singapore (NSCC). Additional support was provided by the Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry and the Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center at East China University of Science and Technology.
Funders | Funder number |
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Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center at East China University of Science and Technology | |
National Supercomputing Centre Singapore | |
National Key Research and Development Program of China | 2022YFA1505200 |
National Natural Science Foundation of China | 22376062, 22272029, 22072030 |
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities | 20720220008 |
Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality | 23ZR1406900, 22ZR1415700, 22520711100 |
Shanghai Rising-Star Program | MOE-T2EP10220-0005, RG5/22, MOE-T2EP20221-0004, 20QA1402400 |