Self‐Assembled Monolayer Interface with Reconstructed Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Enhanced CO<sub>2</sub> Electroreduction

CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis is a promising approach to reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions while achieving high-value multi-carbon (C<sub>2+</sub>) products. Except for the key role of electrocatalyst for electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR), Reaction microenvironment is another critical factor influencing catalytic performance for these catalysts. Herein, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is proposed with reconstructed hydrogen-bond network to form an efficient three-phase interface that admins mass transport and ion-electron transfer. This approach is realized by co-assembly of the fluorinated SAM (F-SAM) and siloxane on commercial Cu catalyst (Cu@F-Si composite catalyst). Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and interfacial species analysis show that the F-SAM effectively facilitates CO<sub>2</sub> mass transport, while the siloxane hydrogen bond network maintains an ideal H<sup>+</sup>/e<sup>-</sup> transfer pathway. Combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, this strategy reveals the mechanism by which optimizing *H/*CO coverage enhances C<sub>2+</sub> product selectivity. Ultimately, the Cu@F-Si catalyst maintains a high current density of 502.5 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> with over 85% C<sub>2+</sub> Faradaic efficiency (FE) and operates stably for more than 100 h at ≈300 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>. This interface engineering strategy offers a promising solution for improving the efficiency of CO<sub>2</sub>RR, with broader applications in multiphase catalytic systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials
Published
2025-05-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202504515
Citations
29
Primary Topic
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
10.54

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article

Self‐Assembled Monolayer Interface with Reconstructed Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Enhanced CO2 Electroreduction

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29 citations
Advanced Materials
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
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article

Self‐Assembled Monolayer Interface with Reconstructed Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Enhanced CO2 Electroreduction

Yaqiong Su, Bao Yu Xia, Jiexin Zhu, Shenghua Chen, Yuantao Wei, Chunhui Xiao, Fuqing Yu, Mengyang Li, Boyang Li, Shujiang Ding, Jianrui Zhang, Tianxi He, Yang Wang
article en
29 citations

Abstract

CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis is a promising approach to reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions while achieving high-value multi-carbon (C<sub>2+</sub>) products. Except for the key role of electrocatalyst for electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR), Reaction microenvironment is another critical factor influencing catalytic performance for these catalysts. Herein, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is proposed with reconstructed hydrogen-bond network to form an efficient three-phase interface that admins mass transport and ion-electron transfer. This approach is realized by co-assembly of the fluorinated SAM (F-SAM) and siloxane on commercial Cu catalyst (Cu@F-Si composite catalyst). Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and interfacial species analysis show that the F-SAM effectively facilitates CO<sub>2</sub> mass transport, while the siloxane hydrogen bond network maintains an ideal H<sup>+</sup>/e<sup>-</sup> transfer pathway. Combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, this strategy reveals the mechanism by which optimizing *H/*CO coverage enhances C<sub>2+</sub> product selectivity. Ultimately, the Cu@F-Si catalyst maintains a high current density of 502.5 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> with over 85% C<sub>2+</sub> Faradaic efficiency (FE) and operates stably for more than 100 h at ≈300 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>. This interface engineering strategy offers a promising solution for improving the efficiency of CO<sub>2</sub>RR, with broader applications in multiphase catalytic systems.

Advanced MaterialsVol. 37(29)
Xidian University (CN), University of Toronto (CA), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN), Sungkyunkwan University (KR), Xi'an Jiaotong University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
10.54
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