Monodisperse Cu Nanoparticles Supported on a Versatile Metal–Organic Framework for Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2

Abstract

Rare-earth metal–organic frameworks (REMOFs) based on polynuclear metal clusters are an emerging class of materials that have shown promise for CO₂ capture and conversion. In this work, copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were successfully installed on a cluster-based Y(III) MOF to yield a composite material, CuNP-Y-TBAP. The abundance of Cu binding sites on the Y(III) clusters allowed a remarkably high Cu loading to be achieved, and electron microscopy demonstrated that the MOF-supported CuNPs are exceptionally small and monodisperse. CuNP-Y-TBAP was found to be an active heterogeneous catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO₂, yielding CO and CH₄ as the primary CO₂ reduction products.