Rational design of copper alloy electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

IF 14.9 1区 化学 Q1 Energy
Lei Xue , Yuntao Qi , Zhuo Li , Huimin Yang , Ruilin Liu , Bin Zhang
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR) represents an innovative technology for energy conversion by converting CO2 into value-added multi-carbon fuels and chemicals, with copper (Cu)-based catalysts playing a pivotal role as the only known metallic capable of driving such multi-carbon product formation. However, pure Cu catalysts suffer from intrinsic limitations, including suboptimal selectivity toward desired hydrocarbons due to unstable key intermediate, and rapid deactivation caused by catalyst surface reconstruction under operational conditions. Cu-based alloy catalysts address the challenges of low selectivity, poor stability, and high overpotential in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 by optimizing intermediate adsorption and enhancing reaction kinetics. This review systematically examines the catalytic mechanisms, design principles, and performance of Cu alloys in steering CO2RR pathways toward key products (CO, HCOOH, CH4, C2H4, and C2+ alcohols). By alloying Cu with secondary metals (e.g., Ag, Zn, Sn, or rare-earth elements), bimetallic electronic effects modulate intermediate adsorption energetics (*CO, *COOH, *OCHO) and enhance C–C coupling kinetics. We propose future directions integrating in situ characterization and machine learning-driven alloy design to bridge fundamental understanding with industrial application. This work provides a comprehensive roadmap for developing next-generation Cu alloy catalysts to enable efficient CO2 valorization in a carbon–neutral energy landscape.

Abstract Image

电催化CO2还原铜合金电催化剂的合理设计
电催化二氧化碳还原(CO2RR)是一种创新的能源转换技术,通过将二氧化碳转化为增值的多碳燃料和化学品,铜基催化剂作为唯一已知的能够驱动这种多碳产物形成的金属,发挥着关键作用。然而,纯Cu催化剂存在固有的局限性,包括由于关键中间体不稳定导致对所需碳氢化合物的选择性不理想,以及在操作条件下催化剂表面重构导致的快速失活。铜基合金催化剂通过优化中间吸附和提高反应动力学,解决了CO2电催化还原中选择性低、稳定性差和过电位高的难题。本文系统地研究了Cu合金在引导CO2RR途径生成关键产物(CO、HCOOH、CH4、C2H4和C2+醇)中的催化机制、设计原理和性能。通过将Cu与次生金属(如Ag、Zn、Sn或稀土元素)合金化,双金属电子效应调节了中间吸附能量(*CO、*COOH、*OCHO)并增强了C-C耦合动力学。我们提出了整合原位表征和机器学习驱动的合金设计的未来方向,以架起基础理解与工业应用的桥梁。这项工作为开发下一代铜合金催化剂提供了一个全面的路线图,以实现碳中和能源环境中高效的二氧化碳增值。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Journal of Energy Chemistry
Journal of Energy Chemistry CHEMISTRY, APPLIED-CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL
CiteScore
19.10
自引率
8.40%
发文量
3631
审稿时长
15 days
期刊介绍: The Journal of Energy Chemistry, the official publication of Science Press and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, serves as a platform for reporting creative research and innovative applications in energy chemistry. It mainly reports on creative researches and innovative applications of chemical conversions of fossil energy, carbon dioxide, electrochemical energy and hydrogen energy, as well as the conversions of biomass and solar energy related with chemical issues to promote academic exchanges in the field of energy chemistry and to accelerate the exploration, research and development of energy science and technologies. This journal focuses on original research papers covering various topics within energy chemistry worldwide, including: Optimized utilization of fossil energy Hydrogen energy Conversion and storage of electrochemical energy Capture, storage, and chemical conversion of carbon dioxide Materials and nanotechnologies for energy conversion and storage Chemistry in biomass conversion Chemistry in the utilization of solar energy
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