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Transition Metal Nitrides as Promising Catalyst Supports for Tuning CO/H 2 Syngas Production from Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction
Author(s) -
Liu Yumeng,
Tian Dong,
Biswas Akash N.,
Xie Zhenhua,
Hwang Sooyeon,
Lee Ji Hoon,
Meng Hong,
Chen Jingguang G.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202003625
Subject(s) - syngas , niobium nitride , vanadium nitride , electrochemistry , catalysis , nitride , transition metal , materials science , faraday efficiency , electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide , inorganic chemistry , metal , carbon monoxide , chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , metallurgy , organic chemistry , layer (electronics)
The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to produce synthesis gas (syngas) with tunable CO/H 2 ratios has been studied by supporting Pd catalysts on transition metal nitride (TMN) substrates. Combining experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, Pd‐modified niobium nitride (Pd/NbN) is found to generate much higher CO and H 2 partial current densities and greater CO Faradaic efficiency than Pd‐modified vanadium nitride (Pd/VN) and commercial Pd/C catalysts. In‐situ X‐ray diffraction identifies the formation of PdH in Pd/NbN and Pd/C under CO 2 RR conditions, whereas the Pd in Pd/VN is not fully transformed into the active PdH phase. DFT calculations show that the stabilized *HOCO and weakened *CO intermediates on PdH/NbN are critical to achieving higher CO 2 RR activity. This work suggests that NbN is a promising substrate to modify Pd, resulting in an enhanced electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to syngas with a potential reduction in precious metal loading.