Modulating CO2 electroreduction pathways through controlled ionomer arrangement on catalyst surfaces via solvent dispersion

Ionomers play a vital role in the preparation of electrodes for CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction, and controlling the ionomer configuration on the catalyst surface offers an effective strategy for adjusting the surface microenvironment of the electrode, thereby influencing the distribution of CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction products. In this study, we demonstrate that Nafion, a commonly used ionomer, exhibits distinct aggregation behaviors in solvents with different dielectric constant (ε) values. These differences in aggregation result in varied Nafion arrangements on the catalyst surface, which in turn affect the binding of ∗CO and ∗H intermediates, enabling control over product distribution. For example, over a Cu nanosheet catalyst at 800 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, the Faradaic efficiency for multicarbon products increases from 67.5% to 90.5% simply by changing the dispersion solvent from low-ε dimethyl sulfoxide to moderate-ε isopropanol. This work introduces a novel approach for fine-tuning CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction product distribution through manipulation of the dispersion solvent without requiring modifications to the catalyst or ionomer.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Innovation
Published
2025-03-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100882
Citations
14
Primary Topic
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
5.09

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article

Modulating CO2 electroreduction pathways through controlled ionomer arrangement on catalyst surfaces via solvent dispersion

Jiapeng Jiao, Xinchen Kang, Shiqiang Liu, Xueqing Xing et al.
14 citations
The Innovation
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
5.09
article

Modulating CO2 electroreduction pathways through controlled ionomer arrangement on catalyst surfaces via solvent dispersion

Jiapeng Jiao, Xinchen Kang, Shiqiang Liu, Xueqing Xing, Zhongnan Ling, Peigen Zhang, Hongyan Liang, Yidong Xu, Huanyan Liu, Yueqian Fan, Jianling Zhang, Yaoyu Yin, Xing Tong, Jiahao Yang, Meng Zhou, Buxing Han
article en
14 citations

Abstract

Ionomers play a vital role in the preparation of electrodes for CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction, and controlling the ionomer configuration on the catalyst surface offers an effective strategy for adjusting the surface microenvironment of the electrode, thereby influencing the distribution of CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction products. In this study, we demonstrate that Nafion, a commonly used ionomer, exhibits distinct aggregation behaviors in solvents with different dielectric constant (ε) values. These differences in aggregation result in varied Nafion arrangements on the catalyst surface, which in turn affect the binding of ∗CO and ∗H intermediates, enabling control over product distribution. For example, over a Cu nanosheet catalyst at 800 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, the Faradaic efficiency for multicarbon products increases from 67.5% to 90.5% simply by changing the dispersion solvent from low-ε dimethyl sulfoxide to moderate-ε isopropanol. This work introduces a novel approach for fine-tuning CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction product distribution through manipulation of the dispersion solvent without requiring modifications to the catalyst or ionomer.

The InnovationVol. 6(6)
Tianjin University of Technology (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Institute of Engineering Thermophysics (CN), Institute of High Energy Physics (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Shenyang University of Chemical Technology (CN), East China Normal University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
5.09
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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