Ferrocene‐Engineered Bimetallic MOF Nanoflowers Boost Selective CO <sub>2</sub> ‐to‐CH <sub>4</sub> Electrocatalysis via Dual‐Metal Synergy and Structural Precision
Electrocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction to methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) is a promising route for sustainable energy conversion and carbon neutrality. However, limited control over intermediates and competition from the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) restrict selectivity and efficiency. To address these challenges, a ferrocene-based bimetallic metal-organic framework MOF catalyst (Ni<sub>x</sub>In<sub>y</sub>-Fc/NF) with a hierarchical nanoflower architecture is developed, where dual-metal synergy modulates the electronic structure at active sites. Incorporating redox-active ferrocene units and optimizing the Ni/In ratio enhances active-site accessibility and tunes the electronic environment. Structural and compositional analyses, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), confirm that Ni<sub>5</sub>In<sub>3</sub>-Fc/NF possesses a 3D porous nanoflower morphology, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals electronic interactions between Ni and In. Electrochemical tests show that the catalyst achieves 76% CH<sub>4</sub> Faradaic efficiency at -0.8 V versus RHE and suppresses H<sub>2</sub> evolution. Ni<sub>5</sub>In<sub>3</sub>-Fc/NF maintains stability and CH<sub>4</sub> selectivity over 16 000 s of electrolysis. Density-functional theory (DFT) indicates that the bimetallic interface reduces the energy barrier for the rate-limiting *CO formation step, thereby accelerating the CO<sub>2</sub>-to-CH<sub>4</sub> pathway. This study presents a synergistic strategy integrating dual-metal interaction and structural precision to enhance performance and durability in CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction, offering insights into the rational design of high-performance MOF catalysts.
Authors
- Shuyan Fan
- Cui‐Juan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8031-0532)
- Zhu Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9349-9562)
- Wenyue Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5894-2821)
- Yanchao Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1338-5240)
- Yudong Xia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4576-1201)
Institutions
- Southwest Jiaotong University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-10-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202508771
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.73