Electrochemical Transformation of Copper Sulfide Electrodes for Selective CO<sub>2</sub>‐to‐Formate Conversion
Precise control over the dynamic transformations that electrocatalysts undergo under operating conditions offers a powerful strategy for tailoring catalytic selectivity. Herein, the electrochemical modification of Cu<sub>2-x</sub>S-derived catalysts to generate selective active sites for the electroreduction of CO<sub>2</sub> to formate is investigated. Through a combination of in situ and ex situ characterization techniques, it is demonstrated that electrochemical cycling induces sulfur leaching, resulting in the formation of reduced, amorphous copper structures that exhibit enhanced selectivity toward formate production. Compared to the pristine material, the electrochemically modified catalyst achieves a twofold improvement in Faradaic efficiency, reaching values as high as 75% for CO<sub>2</sub>-to-formate conversion. These findings not only establish a cost-effective and scalable platform for catalyst fabrication and activation, but also open new avenues for advancing sustainable CO<sub>2</sub> conversion technologies toward industrial implementation.
Authors
- Sara Barja (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4257-2651)
- Nikolay Kornienko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7193-2428)
- Verónica Celorrio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2818-3844)
- Camilo Arturo Mesa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8450-2563)
- Frederik Schiller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1727-3542)
- Claudio Ampelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7048-976X)
- Roser Fernández‐Climent (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0845-558X)
- Sixto Giménez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4522-3174)
- Matteo Miceli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4436-3650)
- Ana Gutiérrez‐Blanco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9412-2321)
- Jesús Redondo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8147-689X)
- Daniele Giusi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4574-8173)
- Junnan Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-8390)
Institutions
- Universitat Jaume I (ES)
- Ikerbasque (ES)
- University of Messina (IT)
- University of Bonn (DE)
- Université du Québec à Montréal (CA)
- University of the Basque Country (ES)
- Charles University (CZ)
- Diamond Light Source (GB)
- Material Physics Center (ES)
- Donostia International Physics Center (ES)
- Université de Montréal (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ChemSusChem
- Published
- 2025-08-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202501180
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Diamond Light Source
- European Commission
- Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- Eusko Jaurlaritza
- Universitat Jaume I
- Directorate-General XII, Science, Research, and Development
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
- European Regional Development Fund
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación