Revealing the Active Phase of Copper during the Electroreduction of CO₂ in Aqueous Electrolyte by Correlating In Situ X-ray Spectroscopy and In Situ Electron Microscopy.

ABSTRACT: The variation in the morphology and electronic structure of copper during the electroreduction of CO₂ into valuable hydrocarbons and alcohols was revealed by combining in situ surface- and bulk-sensitive X-ray spectroscopies with electrochemical scanning electron microscopy. These experiments proved that the electrified interface surface and near-surface are dominated by reduced copper. The selectivity to the formation of the key C-C bond is enhanced at higher cathodic potentials as a consequence of increased copper metallicity. In addition, the reduction of the copper oxide electrode and oxygen loss in the lattice reconstructs the electrode to yield a rougher surface with more uncoordinated sites, which controls the dissociation barrier of water and CO₂. Thus,

SUBMITTER: Velasco-Velez JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7296532 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature