Active and selective CO2 electroreduction on a hierarchically nanoporous Au-Ag shell

• Published in: Chemical physics letters Vol. 753; p. 137563
• Main Authors: Yang, Wenpeng, Qian, Lihua, Lei, Pengxiang, Chen, Jin, Lu, Xianglong, Yu, Tianshui, Xiao, Hengbo, Zhou, Xiangji, Kathale, Benjamin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 16.08.2020
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Electrocatalysis; Electrochemical reduction; Mass transport; Nanoporous metal; Mass transport; Nanoporous metal; Electrocatalysis; Electrochemical reduction; Carbon dioxide
• ISSN: 0009-2614; 1873-4448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137563

Hierarchically nanoporous Au-Ag shells show higher current density and larger product selectivity during carbon dioxide electroreduction in comparison with the Au NPs and Ag NPs. [Display omitted] •Hierarchically nanoporous Au-Ag shells (NPAS12) are synthesized.•NPAS12 promote mass transport during the carbon dioxide electroreduction.•NPAS12 exhibit higher current density and selectivity than Au and Ag NPs. We demonstrate an approach to fabricate hierarchically nanoporous Au-Ag shells (NPASs) with a hollow interior and nanoscale pores on the shell. Current density on the NPASs with pore size of 12 nm (NPAS12) is 2.9 and 1.8 times higher than that on Au nanoparticles (NPs) and Ag NPs, respectively. Meanwhile, the NPAS12 exhibits the highest CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) of 86.4% at −0.85 V which is 11.6% and 31.2% higher than that of the Au NPs and Ag NPs, respectively. These results reveal that mass transport within the hierarchical pores plays a critical role in carbon dioxide electroreduction (CO2ER).