Constrained C2 adsorbate orientation enables CO-to-acetate electroreduction.

The carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide electroreduction reactions, when powered using low-carbon electricity, offer pathways to the decarbonization of chemical manufacture1,2. Copper (Cu) is relied on today for carbon-carbon coupling, in which it produces mixtures of more than ten C2+ chemicals3-6: a long-standing challenge lies in achieving selectivity to a single principal C2+ product7-9. Acetate is one such C2 compound on the path to the large but fossil-derived acetic acid market. Here we pursued dispersing a low concentration of Cu atoms in a host metal to favour the stabilization of ketenes10-chemical intermediates that are bound in monodentate fashion to the electrocatalyst. We synthesize Cu-in-Ag dilute (about 1 atomic per cent of Cu) alloy materials that we find to be highly selective for acetate electrosynthesis from CO at high *CO coverage, implemented at 10 atm pressure. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates in situ-generated Cu clusters consisting of <4 atoms as active sites. We report a 12:1 ratio, an order of magnitude increase compared to the best previous reports, in the selectivity for acetate relative to all other products observed from the carbon monoxide electroreduction reaction. Combining catalyst design and reactor engineering, we achieve a CO-to-acetate Faradaic efficiency of 91% and report a Faradaic efficiency of 85% with an 820-h operating time. High selectivity benefits energy efficiency and downstream separation across all carbon-based electrochemical transformations, highlighting the importance of maximizing the Faradaic efficiency towards a single C2+ product11.

Bimetallic Metal Sites in Metal-Organic Frameworks Facilitate the Production of 1-Butene from Electrosynthesized Ethylene.

Converting CO2 to synthetic hydrocarbon fuels is of increasing interest. In light of progress in electrified CO2 to ethylene, we explored routes to dimerize to 1-butene, an olefin that can serve as a building block to ethylene longer-chain alkanes. With goal of selective and active dimerization, we investigate a series of metal-organic frameworks having bimetallic catalytic sites. We find that the tunable pore structure enables optimization of selectivity and that periodic pore channels enhance activity. In a tandem system for the conversion of CO2 to 1-C4H8, wherein the outlet cathodic gas from a CO2-to-C2H4 electrolyzer is fed directly (via a dehumidification stage) into the C2H4 dimerizer, we study the highest-performing MOF found herein: M' = Ru and M″ = Ni in the bimetallic two-dimensional M'2(OAc)4M″(CN)4 MOF. We report a 1-C4H8 production rate of 1.3 mol gcat-1 h-1 and a C2H4 conversion of 97%. From these experimental data, we project an estimated cradle-to-gate carbon intensity of -2.1 kg-CO2e/kg-1-C4H8 when CO2 is supplied from direct air capture and when the required energy is supplied by electricity having the carbon intensity of wind.

Ternary Alloys Enable Efficient Production of Methoxylated Chemicals via Selective Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Lignin Monomers.

We explore the selective electrocatalytic hydrogenation of lignin monomers to methoxylated chemicals, of particular interest, when powered by renewable electricity. Prior studies, while advancing the field rapidly, have so far lacked the needed selectivity: when hydrogenating lignin-derived methoxylated monomers to methoxylated cyclohexanes, the desired methoxy group (-OCH3) has also been reduced. The ternary PtRhAu electrocatalysts developed herein selectively hydrogenate lignin monomers to methoxylated cyclohexanes-molecules with uses in pharmaceutics. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and in situ Raman spectroscopy, we find that Rh and Au modulate the electronic structure of Pt and that this modulating steers intermediate energetics on the electrocatalyst surface to facilitate the hydrogenation of lignin monomers and suppress C-OCH3 bond cleavage. As a result, PtRhAu electrocatalysts achieve a record 58% faradaic efficiency (FE) toward 2-methoxycyclohexanol from the lignin monomer guaiacol at 200 mA cm-2, representing a 1.9× advance in FE and a 4× increase in partial current density compared to the highest productivity prior reports. We demonstrate an integrated lignin biorefinery where wood-derived lignin monomers are selectively hydrogenated and funneled to methoxylated 2-methoxy-4-propylcyclohexanol using PtRhAu electrocatalysts. This work offers an opportunity for the sustainable electrocatalytic synthesis of methoxylated pharmaceuticals from renewable biomass.

Intermediate Binding Control Using Metal-Organic Frameworks Enhances Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

In the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), control over the binding of intermediates is key for tuning product selectivity and catalytic activity. Here we report the use of reticular chemistry to control the binding of CO2RR intermediates on metal catalysts encapsulated inside metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), thereby allowing us to improve CO2RR electrocatalysis. By varying systematically both the organic linker and the metal node in a face-centered cubic (fcu) MOF, we tune the adsorption of CO2, pore openness, and Lewis acidity of the MOFs. Using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and in situ Raman spectroscopy, we reveal that the MOFs are stable under operating conditions and that this tuning plays the role of optimizing the *CO binding mode on the surface of Ag nanoparticles incorporated inside the MOFs with the increase of local CO2 concentration. As a result, we improve the CO selectivity from 74% for Ag/Zr-fcu-MOF-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC) to 94% for Ag/Zr-fcu-MOF-1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDC). The work offers a further avenue to utilize MOFs in the pursuit of materials design for CO2RR.

Enhanced Nitrate-to-Ammonia Activity on Copper-Nickel Alloys via Tuning of Intermediate Adsorption.

Electrochemical conversion of nitrate (NO3-) into ammonia (NH3) recycles nitrogen and offers a route to the production of NH3, which is more valuable than dinitrogen gas. However, today's development of NO3- electroreduction remains hindered by the lack of a mechanistic picture of how catalyst structure may be tuned to enhance catalytic activity. Here we demonstrate enhanced NO3- reduction reaction (NO3-RR) performance on Cu50Ni50 alloy catalysts, including a 0.12 V upshift in the half-wave potential and a 6-fold increase in activity compared to those obtained with pure Cu at 0 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Ni alloying enables tuning of the Cu d-band center and modulates the adsorption energies of intermediates such as *NO3-, *NO2, and *NH2. Using density functional theory calculations, we identify a NO3-RR-to-NH3 pathway and offer an adsorption energy-activity relationship for the CuNi alloy system. This correlation between catalyst electronic structure and NO3-RR activity offers a design platform for further development of NO3-RR catalysts.

Binding Site Diversity Promotes CO2 Electroreduction to Ethanol.

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 has seen many record-setting advances in C2 productivity in recent years. However, the selectivity for ethanol, a globally significant commodity chemical, is still low compared to the selectivity for products such as ethylene. Here we introduce diverse binding sites to a Cu catalyst, an approach that destabilizes the ethylene reaction intermediates and thereby promotes ethanol production. We develop a bimetallic Ag/Cu catalyst that implements the proposed design toward an improved ethanol catalyst. It achieves a record Faradaic efficiency of 41% toward ethanol at 250 mA/cm2 and -0.67 V vs RHE, leading to a cathodic-side (half-cell) energy efficiency of 24.7%. The new catalysts exhibit an in situ Raman spectrum, in the region associated with CO stretching, that is much broader than that of pure Cu controls, a finding we account for via the diversity of binding configurations. This physical picture, involving multisite binding, accounts for the enhanced ethanol production for bimetallic catalysts, and presents a framework to design multimetallic catalysts to control reaction paths in CO2 reductions toward desired products.

Ligand-modified nanoparticle surfaces influence CO electroreduction selectivity.

Improving the kinetics and selectivity of CO2/CO electroreduction to valuable multi-carbon products is a challenge for science and is a requirement for practical relevance. Here we develop a thiol-modified surface ligand strategy that promotes electrochemical CO-to-acetate. We explore a picture wherein nucleophilic interaction between the lone pairs of sulfur and the empty orbitals of reaction intermediates contributes to making the acetate pathway more energetically accessible. Density functional theory calculations and Raman spectroscopy suggest a mechanism where the nucleophilic interaction increases the sp2 hybridization of CO(ad), facilitating the rate-determining step, CO* to (CHO)*. We find that the ligands stabilize the (HOOC-CH2)* intermediate, a key intermediate in the acetate pathway. In-situ Raman spectroscopy shows shifts in C-O, Cu-C, and C-S vibrational frequencies that agree with a picture of surface ligand-intermediate interactions. A Faradaic efficiency of 70% is obtained on optimized thiol-capped Cu catalysts, with onset potentials 100 mV lower than in the case of reference Cu catalysts.

Coordination Polymer Electrocatalysts Enable Efficient CO-to-Acetate Conversion.

Upgrading carbon dioxide/monoxide to multi-carbon C2+ products using renewable electricity offers one route to more sustainable fuel and chemical production. One of the most appealing products is acetate, the profitable electrosynthesis of which demands a catalyst with higher efficiency. Here, a coordination polymer (CP) catalyst is reported that consists of Cu(I) and benzimidazole units linked via Cu(I)-imidazole coordination bonds, which enables selective reduction of CO to acetate with a 61% Faradaic efficiency at -0.59 volts versus the reversible hydrogen electrode at a current density of 400 mA cm-2 in flow cells. The catalyst is integrated in a cation exchange membrane-based membrane electrode assembly that enables stable acetate electrosynthesis for 190 h, while achieving direct collection of concentrated acetate (3.3 molar) from the cathodic liquid stream, an average single-pass utilization of 50% toward CO-to-acetate conversion, and an average acetate full-cell energy efficiency of 15% at a current density of 250 mA cm-2 .

Single-site decorated copper enables energy- and carbon-efficient CO2 methanation in acidic conditions.

Renewable CH4 produced from electrocatalytic CO2 reduction is viewed as a sustainable and versatile energy carrier, compatible with existing infrastructure. However, conventional alkaline and neutral CO2-to-CH4 systems suffer CO2 loss to carbonates, and recovering the lost CO2 requires input energy exceeding the heating value of the produced CH4. Here we pursue CH4-selective electrocatalysis in acidic conditions via a coordination method, stabilizing free Cu ions by bonding Cu with multidentate donor sites. We find that hexadentate donor sites in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid enable the chelation of Cu ions, regulating Cu cluster size and forming Cu-N/O single sites that achieve high CH4 selectivity in acidic conditions. We report a CH4 Faradaic efficiency of 71% (at 100 mA cm-2) with <3% loss in total input CO2 that results in an overall energy intensity (254 GJ/tonne CH4), half that of existing electroproduction routes.

High-Rate and Selective CO2 Electrolysis to Ethylene via Metal-Organic-Framework-Augmented CO2 Availability.

High-rate conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) to ethylene (C2 H4 ) in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) requires fine control over the phase boundary of the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) to overcome the limit of CO2 solubility in aqueous electrolytes. Here, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-functionalized GDE design is presented, based on a catalysts:MOFs:hydrophobic substrate materials layered architecture, that leads to high-rate and selective C2 H4 production in flow cells and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers. It is found that using electroanalysis and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), MOF-induced organic layers in GDEs augment the local CO2 concentration near the active sites of the Cu catalysts. MOFs with different CO2 adsorption abilities are used, and the stacking ordering of MOFs in the GDE is varied. While sputtering Cu on poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) (Cu/PTFE) exhibits 43% C2 H4 Faradaic efficiency (FE) at a current density of 200 mA cm- 2 in a flow cell, 49% C2 H4 FE at 1 A cm- 2 is achieved on MOF-augmented GDEs in CO2 RR. MOF-augmented GDEs are further evaluated in an MEA electrolyzer, achieving a C2 H4 partial current density of 220 mA cm-2 for CO2 RR and 121 mA cm-2 for the carbon monoxide reduction reaction (CORR), representing 2.7-fold and 15-fold improvement in C2 H4 production rate, compared to those obtained on bare Cu/PTFE.

A metal-supported single-atom catalytic site enables carbon dioxide hydrogenation.

Nitrogen-doped graphene-supported single atoms convert CO2 to CO, but fail to provide further hydrogenation to methane - a finding attributable to the weak adsorption of CO intermediates. To regulate the adsorption energy, here we investigate the metal-supported single atoms to enable CO2 hydrogenation. We find a copper-supported iron-single-atom catalyst producing a high-rate methane. Density functional theory calculations and in-situ Raman spectroscopy show that the iron atoms attract surrounding intermediates and carry out hydrogenation to generate methane. The catalyst is realized by assembling iron phthalocyanine on the copper surface, followed by in-situ formation of single iron atoms during electrocatalysis, identified using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The copper-supported iron-single-atom catalyst exhibits a CO2-to-methane Faradaic efficiency of 64% and a partial current density of 128 mA cm-2, while the nitrogen-doped graphene-supported one produces only CO. The activity is 32 times higher than a pristine copper under the same conditions of electrolyte and bias.

3D-Printable Fluoropolymer Gas Diffusion Layers for CO2 Electroreduction.

The electrosynthesis of value-added multicarbon products from CO2 is a promising strategy to shift chemical production away from fossil fuels. Particularly important is the rational design of gas diffusion electrode (GDE) assemblies to react selectively, at scale, and at high rates. However, the understanding of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in these assemblies is limited for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR): particularly important, but incompletely understood, is how the GDL modulates product distributions of catalysts operating in high current density regimes > 300 mA cm-2 . Here, 3D-printable fluoropolymer GDLs with tunable microporosity and structure are reported and probe the effects of permeance, microstructural porosity, macrostructure, and surface morphology. Under a given choice of applied electrochemical potential and electrolyte, a 100× increase in the C2 H4 :CO ratio due to GDL surface morphology design over a homogeneously porous equivalent and a 1.8× increase in the C2 H4 partial current density due to a pyramidal macrostructure are observed. These findings offer routes to improve CO2 RR GDEs as a platform for 3D catalyst design.

Boosting photoelectrochemical efficiency by near-infrared-active lattice-matched morphological heterojunctions.

Photoelectrochemical catalysis is an attractive way to provide direct hydrogen production from solar energy. However, solar conversion efficiencies are hindered by the fact that light harvesting has so far been of limited efficiency in the near-infrared region as compared to that in the visible and ultraviolet regions. Here we introduce near-infrared-active photoanodes that feature lattice-matched morphological hetero-nanostructures, a strategy that improves energy conversion efficiency by increasing light-harvesting spectral range and charge separation efficiency simultaneously. Specifically, we demonstrate a near-infrared-active morphological heterojunction comprised of BiSeTe ternary alloy nanotubes and ultrathin nanosheets. The heterojunction's hierarchical nanostructure separates charges at the lattice-matched interface of the two morphological components, preventing further carrier recombination. As a result, the photoanodes achieve an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 36% at 800 nm in an electrolyte solution containing hole scavengers without a co-catalyst.

Gold-in-copper at low *CO coverage enables efficient electromethanation of CO2.

The renewable-electricity-powered CO2 electroreduction reaction provides a promising means to store intermittent renewable energy in the form of valuable chemicals and dispatchable fuels. Renewable methane produced using CO2 electroreduction attracts interest due to the established global distribution network; however, present-day efficiencies and activities remain below those required for practical application. Here we exploit the fact that the suppression of *CO dimerization and hydrogen evolution promotes methane selectivity: we reason that the introduction of Au in Cu favors *CO protonation vs. C-C coupling under low *CO coverage and weakens the *H adsorption energy of the surface, leading to a reduction in hydrogen evolution. We construct experimentally a suite of Au-Cu catalysts and control *CO availability by regulating CO2 concentration and reaction rate. This strategy leads to a 1.6× improvement in the methane:H2 selectivity ratio compared to the best prior reports operating above 100 mA cm-2. We as a result achieve a CO2-to-methane Faradaic efficiency (FE) of (56 ± 2)% at a production rate of (112 ± 4) mA cm-2.

Silica-copper catalyst interfaces enable carbon-carbon coupling towards ethylene electrosynthesis.

Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers offer a means to scale up CO2-to-ethylene electroconversion using renewable electricity and close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. To date, excessive CO2 coverage at the catalyst surface with limited active sites in MEA systems interferes with the carbon-carbon coupling reaction, diminishing ethylene production. With the aid of density functional theory calculations and spectroscopic analysis, here we report an oxide modulation strategy in which we introduce silica on Cu to create active Cu-SiOx interface sites, decreasing the formation energies of OCOH* and OCCOH*-key intermediates along the pathway to ethylene formation. We then synthesize the Cu-SiOx catalysts using one-pot coprecipitation and integrate the catalyst in a MEA electrolyzer. By tuning the CO2 concentration, the Cu-SiOx catalyst based MEA electrolyzer shows high ethylene Faradaic efficiencies of up to 65% at high ethylene current densities of up to 215 mA cm-2; and features sustained operation over 50 h.

Low coordination number copper catalysts for electrochemical CO2 methanation in a membrane electrode assembly.

The electrochemical conversion of CO2 to methane provides a means to store intermittent renewable electricity in the form of a carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuel that benefits from an established global distribution network. The stability and selectivity of reported approaches reside below technoeconomic-related requirements. Membrane electrode assembly-based reactors offer a known path to stability; however, highly alkaline conditions on the cathode favour C-C coupling and multi-carbon products. In computational studies herein, we find that copper in a low coordination number favours methane even under highly alkaline conditions. Experimentally, we develop a carbon nanoparticle moderator strategy that confines a copper-complex catalyst when employed in a membrane electrode assembly. In-situ XAS measurements confirm that increased carbon nanoparticle loadings can reduce the metallic copper coordination number. At a copper coordination number of 4.2 we demonstrate a CO2-to-methane selectivity of 62%, a methane partial current density of 136 mA cm-2, and > 110 hours of stable operation.

Chloride-mediated selective electrosynthesis of ethylene and propylene oxides at high current density.

Chemicals manufacturing consumes large amounts of energy and is responsible for a substantial portion of global carbon emissions. Electrochemical systems that produce the desired compounds by using renewable electricity offer a route to lower carbon emissions in the chemicals sector. Ethylene oxide is among the world's most abundantly produced commodity chemicals because of its importance in the plastics industry, notably for manufacturing polyesters and polyethylene terephthalates. We applied an extended heterogeneous:homogeneous interface, using chloride as a redox mediator at the anode, to facilitate the selective partial oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. We achieved current densities of 1 ampere per square centimeter, Faradaic efficiencies of ~70%, and product specificities of ~97%. When run at 300 milliamperes per square centimeter for 100 hours, the system maintained a 71(±1)% Faradaic efficiency throughout.

Orthogonal colloidal quantum dot inks enable efficient multilayer optoelectronic devices.

Surface ligands enable control over the dispersibility of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) via steric and electrostatic stabilization. Today's device-grade CQD inks have consistently relied on highly polar solvents: this enables facile single-step deposition of multi-hundred-nanometer-thick CQD films; but it prevents the realization of CQD film stacks made up of CQDs having different compositions, since polar solvents redisperse underlying films. Here we introduce aromatic ligands to achieve process-orthogonal CQD inks, and enable thereby multifunctional multilayer CQD solids. We explore the effect of the anchoring group of the aromatic ligand on the solubility of CQD inks in weakly-polar solvents, and find that a judicious selection of the anchoring group induces a dipole that provides additional CQD-solvent interactions. This enables colloidal stability without relying on bulky insulating ligands. We showcase the benefit of this ink as the hole transport layer in CQD optoelectronics, achieving an external quantum efficiency of 84% at 1210 nm.

Enhanced multi-carbon alcohol electroproduction from CO via modulated hydrogen adsorption.

Multi-carbon alcohols such as ethanol are valued as fuels in view of their high energy density and ready transport. Unfortunately, the selectivity toward alcohols in CO2/CO electroreduction is diminished by ethylene production, especially when operating at high current densities (>100 mA cm-2). Here we report a metal doping approach to tune the adsorption of hydrogen at the copper surface and thereby promote alcohol production. Using density functional theory calculations, we screen a suite of transition metal dopants and find that incorporating Pd in Cu moderates hydrogen adsorption and assists the hydrogenation of C2 intermediates, providing a means to favour alcohol production and suppress ethylene. We synthesize a Pd-doped Cu catalyst that achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 40% toward alcohols and a partial current density of 277 mA cm-2 from CO electroreduction. The activity exceeds that of prior reports by a factor of 2.

Promoting CO2 methanation via ligand-stabilized metal oxide clusters as hydrogen-donating motifs.

Electroreduction uses renewable energy to upgrade carbon dioxide to value-added chemicals and fuels. Renewable methane synthesized using such a route stands to be readily deployed using existing infrastructure for the distribution and utilization of natural gas. Here we design a suite of ligand-stabilized metal oxide clusters and find that these modulate carbon dioxide reduction pathways on a copper catalyst, enabling thereby a record activity for methane electroproduction. Density functional theory calculations show adsorbed hydrogen donation from clusters to copper active sites for the *CO hydrogenation pathway towards *CHO. We promote this effect via control over cluster size and composition and demonstrate the effect on metal oxides including cobalt(II), molybdenum(VI), tungsten(VI), nickel(II) and palladium(II) oxides. We report a carbon dioxide-to-methane faradaic efficiency of 60% at a partial current density to methane of 135 milliampere per square centimetre. We showcase operation over 18 h that retains a faradaic efficiency exceeding 55%.