Reversible metal cluster formation on Nitrogen-doped carbon controlling electrocatalyst particle size with subnanometer accuracy
Janis Timoshenko, Clara Rettenmaier, Dorottya Hursán, Martina Rüscher, Eduardo Ortega, Antonia Herzog, T. Wagner, Arno Bergmann, Uta Hejral, Aram Yoon, Andrea Martini, Eric Liberra, Mariana Cecilio de Oliveira Monteiro, Beatriz Roldán Cuenya
Abstract
Abstract Copper and nitrogen co-doped carbon catalysts exhibit a remarkable behavior during the electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction (CO 2 RR), namely, the formation of metal nanoparticles from Cu single atoms, and their subsequent reversible redispersion. Here we show that the switchable nature of these species holds the key for the on-demand control over the distribution of CO 2 RR products, a lack of which has thus far hindered the wide-spread practical adoption of CO 2 RR. By intermitting pulses of a working cathodic potential with pulses of anodic potential, we were able to achieve a controlled fragmentation of the Cu particles and partial regeneration of single atom sites. By tuning the pulse durations, and by tracking the catalyst’s evolution using operando quick X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the speciation of the catalyst can be steered toward single atom sites, ultrasmall metal clusters or large metal nanoparticles, each exhibiting unique CO 2 RR functionalities.