Efficient Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to CO by Cu‐doped Carbon Materials Derived from ZIF‐8

Abstract

AbstractElectrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide presents a promising pathway to tackle global energy and environmental challenges. Porous carbon materials from metal‐organic frameworks exhibit high specific surface area, abundant active sites, and adjustable pore structure, demonstrating excellent electrocatalytic performance. With their abundant resources and tunability, copper‐based catalysts are well‐suited for efficient carbon dioxide conversion. However, the selectivity and stability of copper‐based catalysts is poor. This study presents the preparation of the first Cu‐doped ZIF‐8‐derived carbon materials and investigates their effect on electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction. At the optimal potential of −0.7 V vs. RHE, the CO Faradaic Efficiency (FE) of the Cu0.5‐N−C catalyst reaches 89 %. Furthermore, the electrochemical current density and CO FE of Cu0.5‐N−C catalyst remain nearly unchanged within 13 hours in 0.1 mol L−1 KHCO3 electrolyte. Compared to most of the reported copper‐based catalysts, Cu0.5‐N−C exhibits better stability. Characterization results show that Cu0.5‐N−C has a larger Cu‐N4, higher pyridinic N content, larger specific surface area, and average pore size, which help promote CO2 adsorption and enhance catalyst stability. This work provides new insights and pathways for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction, with enormous potential to contribute to the global energy transition and environmental protection.