Microfluidic Continuous Synthesis of Size‐ and Facet‐Controlled Porous Bi2O3 Nanospheres for Efficient CO2 to Formate Catalysis

Abstract

AbstractBismuth‐based catalysts are effective in converting carbon dioxide into formate via electrocatalysis. Precise control of the morphology, size, and facets of bismuth‐based catalysts is crucial for achieving high selectivity and activity. In this work, an efficient, large‐scale continuous production strategy is developed for achieving a porous nanospheres Bi2O3‐FDCA material. First‐principles simulations conducted in advance indicate that the Bi2O3 (111)/(200) facets help reduce the overpotential for formate production in electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (ECO2RR). Subsequently, using microfluidic technology and molecular control to precisely adjust the amount of 2, 5‐furandicarboxylic acid, nanomaterials rich in (111)/(200) facets are successfully synthesized. Additionally, the morphology of the porous nanospheres significantly increases the adsorption capacity and active sites for carbon dioxide. These synergistic effects allow the porous Bi2O3‐FDCA nanospheres to stably operate for 90 h in a flow cell at a current density of ≈250 mA cm−2, with an average Faradaic efficiency for formate exceeding 90%. The approach of theoretically guided microfluidic technology for the large‐scale synthesis of finely structured, efficient bismuth‐based materials for ECO2RR may provide valuable references for the chemical engineering of intelligent nanocatalysts.