Intimate atomic Cu-Ag interfaces for high CO2RR selectivity towards CH4 at low over potential
Chungseok Choi, Jin Cai, Changsoo Lee, Hyuck Mo Lee, Mingjie Xu, Yu Huang
Abstract
Abstract Developing highly efficient electrochemical catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) provides a solution to battle global warming issues resulting from ever-increasing carbon footprint due to human activities. Copper (Cu) is known for its efficiency in CO 2 RR towards value-added hydrocarbons; hence its unique structural properties along with various Cu alloys have been extensively explored in the past decade. Here, we demonstrate a two-step approach to achieve intimate atomic Cu-Ag interfaces on the surface of Cu nanowires, which show greatly improved CO 2 RR selectivity towards methane (CH 4 ). The specially designed Cu-Ag interfaces showed an impressive maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 72% towards CH 4 production at −1.17 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)).