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Selective and Low Overpotential Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate on CuS Decorated CuO Heterostructure

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Abstract

Cu2O/CuO/CuS electrocatalyst was prepared by thermal oxidation of cleaned copper mesh in the air into Cu2O/CuO and CuS was deposited on oxide surface using facile successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. The successive fabrication of the electrocatalyst was confirmed using XRD, SEM, Raman and XPS. The catalytic enhancement is believed to be associated with the reduction of copper sulfide. Together with copper oxides, they offer favorable adsorption sites for electrochemical CO2 reduction. The synthesized catalyst offered significantly enhanced activity and selectivity performance for CO2 reduction at lower overpotential. Remarkably, the faradaic efficiency for formate generation reaches 84% at the potential of − 0.7 V versus RHE. It has also provided a high partial current density of − 20 mA cm− 2.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support was provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) (105-3113-E-011-001-, 104-2911-I-011-505-MY2, 103-2923-E-011-004-MY3), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) (101-EC-17-A-08-S1-183) the Top University Projects of Ministry of Education (MOE) (100H451401), and Taiwan’s Deep Decarbonization Pathways toward a Sustainable Society Project (106-0210-02-11-03). Research facilities were provided by the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) and the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nano-Electrochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Amaha Woldu Kahsay, Meng-Che Tsai, Mulatu Kassie Birhanu, Soressa Abera Chala & Bing-Joe Hwang

  2. Nano-Electrochemistry Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Kassa Belay Ibrahim & Wei-Nien Su

  3. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsin-chu, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Bing-Joe Hwang

Authors
  1. Amaha Woldu Kahsay
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  2. Kassa Belay Ibrahim
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  3. Meng-Che Tsai
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  4. Mulatu Kassie Birhanu
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  5. Soressa Abera Chala
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  6. Wei-Nien Su
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Contributions

All authors are exhaustively discussed the results and involved to the final manuscript of this research. Amaha woldu Kahsay: Developed the methodology, performed experiments, investigated the process, processed the experimental data, characterized and analyzed the results, and draft the manuscript. Kassa Belay Ibrahim: Helped to perform XRD measurements and coordinate in research activities. Meng-Che Tsai: Contributed to the analysis of the results and coordinate in the research activities. Mulatu Kassie Birhanu: Worked out in technical activities such as sample preparation and activity measurements. Soressa Abera Chala: Contributed to the analysis of the results, discussion and helped graphic preparations. Wei-Nien Su: Helped in discussing the results, designed the figures, worked on the draft and revision of this manuscript, and supervised this work. Bing-Joe Hwang: Devised and conceived the original ideas of this research, provide study materials, instruments, reagents and other tools for analysis, analyzed and discussed the results, critical revision and supervised this work.

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Correspondence to Wei-Nien Su or Bing-Joe Hwang.

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Kahsay, A.W., Ibrahim, K.B., Tsai, MC. et al. Selective and Low Overpotential Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate on CuS Decorated CuO Heterostructure. Catal Lett 149, 860–869 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-019-02657-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-019-02657-2

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