Premium
A Highly Active Star Decahedron Cu Nanocatalyst for Hydrocarbon Production at Low Overpotentials
Author(s) -
Choi Chungseok,
Cheng Tao,
Flores Espinosa Michelle,
Fei Huilong,
Duan Xiangfeng,
Goddard William A.,
Huang Yu
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201805405
Subject(s) - overpotential , materials science , stacking , faraday efficiency , catalysis , hydrocarbon , methane , nanoparticle , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , ethylene , carbon fibers , yield (engineering) , carbon dioxide , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , metallurgy , organic chemistry , chemistry , composite material , engineering , composite number
The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) presents a viable approach to recycle CO 2 gas into low carbon fuels. Thus, the development of highly active catalysts at low overpotential is desired for this reaction. Herein, a high‐yield synthesis of unique star decahedron Cu nanoparticles (SD‐Cu NPs) electrocatalysts, displaying twin boundaries (TBs) and multiple stacking faults, which lead to low overpotentials for methane (CH 4 ) and high efficiency for ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) production, is reported. Particularly, SD‐Cu NPs show an onset potential for CH 4 production lower by 0.149 V than commercial Cu NPs. More impressively, SD‐Cu NPs demonstrate a faradaic efficiency of 52.43% ± 2.72% for C 2 H 4 production at −0.993 ± 0.0129 V. The results demonstrate that the surface stacking faults and twin defects increase CO binding energy, leading to the enhanced CO 2 RR performance on SD‐Cu NPs.