Dual Locking of Cu <sup>+</sup> /Cu <sup>0</sup> Interface and Vacancy Defects via Al‐Doping for Efficient Electroreduction of CO <sub>2</sub> to C <sub>2+</sub> Products
Multi-carbon (C<sub>2+</sub>) products from the electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR) are highly desirable due to their energy density and commercial value. Cu-based catalysts are the only known materials capable of producing C<sub>2+</sub> products with appreciable efficiency. However, the low *CO intermediate coverage and sluggish C-C coupling kinetics hinder their selectivity. Herein, an Al-doped copper hydroxyfluoride (Al-CuOHF) catalyst that combines dynamic reconstruction with electronic modulation is reported. In/ex situ CO<sub>2</sub>RR characterization confirm that partial Al dissolution drives in situ reconstruction of porous Cu<sub>2</sub>O/Cu heterostructures with abundant oxygen vacancies (O<sub>v</sub>), while residual Al stabilizes Cu<sup>+</sup> species and F-O<sub>v</sub> Lewis acid-base pairs. In situ Raman spectroscopy directly evidences enhanced *CO adsorption on restructured surfaces. These synergistic effects facilitate CO<sub>2</sub> activation, elevate *CO coverage, and reduce the energy barrier for C-C coupling. Consequently, Al-CuOHF delivers a remarkable C<sub>2+</sub> Faradaic efficiency of 83.3% and a partial current density of -93.03 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> at -1.0 V (vs. RHE). This work provides a strategy for constructing multifunctional interfaces via dopant-guided structural evolution and electronic field engineering, offering new insights into high-efficiency CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction.
Authors
- Yuzhou Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9628-1382)
- Chunhao Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8826-9597)
- Qianqian Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3173-5225)
- Yuhui Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3498-0057)
- Wenqing Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2551-6375)
- Yuping Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0833-1205)
- Shulin Zhao
- Tao Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9909-6705)
- Xiaojing Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1525-1457)
Institutions
- Nanjing Tech University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small Methods
- Published
- 2025-10-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202501502
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00