Electrocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation to C2+ alcohols catalysed by Pr–Cu oxide heterointerfaces
摘要
Efficient production of C2+ alcohols from the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is of great interest. However, the CO2RR to C2+ alcohols has low selectivity and current density due to competing C2+ pathways that produce ethylene (C2H4). Here we report a stepwise precipitation and stepwise calcination strategy to create Pr–Cu oxide heterointerfaces (Pr6O11–Cu-SS) that produces an efficient CO2RR to C2+ alcohols. Pr6O11–Cu-SS exhibited high productivity and Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C2+ alcohols. At −1.08 V versus RHE, the current density and FE of C2+ alcohols reached 700 mA cm−2 and 71.3%, respectively, with the FEs of ethanol and n-propanol reaching 58.6% and 12.7%, respectively, under these conditions. The C2+ alcohols/C2H4 ratio was as high as 12:1. Experimental and theoretical studies indicated that the performance of the catalyst results from the existence of a Pr4+/Pr3+ structure in Pr6O11–Cu-SS, which is able to effectively stabilize Cuδ+/Cu0 via a unique Pr–O–Cu linkage and form stable oxide heterointerfaces. The binding strength and binding type of *CO were then altered on the heterointerfaces to form a mixed adsorption configuration, which induces asymmetric carbon–carbon coupling and selective hydrodeoxygenation to promote the generation of C2+ alcohols.