A Cu<sub>2</sub>O‐derived Polymeric Carbon Nitride Heterostructured Catalyst for the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Ethylene
Wenwen Lin, Hao Chen, Zihao Li, Kotaro Sasaki, Siyu Yao, Zihao Zhang, Jing Li, Jie Fu
Abstract
Abstract The electroreduction of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons has been proposed as a promising way to utilize CO 2 and maintain the ecosystem carbon balance. However, the selective reduction of CO 2 to C 2 hydrocarbons is still challenging. In this study, a highly efficient heterostructured catalyst has been developed, composed of a carbon nitride (CN)‐encapsulated copper oxide hybrid (Cu x O/CN). The interaction between the metal and carbon nitride in the heterostructured catalysts improves the intrinsic electrical conductivity and the charge transfer processes at metal–support interfaces. A remarkable enhancement in the selectivity of hydrocarbons is achieved with these modified Cu‐based electrocatalysts, with an onset potential of −0.4 V and high C 2 H 4 faradaic efficiency of 42.2 %, and these catalysts can also effectively suppress H 2 evolution during the CO 2 reduction reaction. This work provides a simple and cost‐effective method for synthesizing CN‐encapsulated catalysts that provides the possibility of efficiently converting CO 2 into C 2 hydrocarbons.