Integrative Ni <sub>1</sub> –P <i> <sub>x</sub> </i> Catalytic Pairs for Low‐Concentration CO <sub>2</sub> Electroreduction
Abstract The electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) powered by renewable electricity offers a promising approach for sustainable carbon utilization. However, under industrially relevant low CO 2 concentrations (5–15 vol.%), the efficiency and selectivity of electrochemical CO 2 RR are significantly constrained by the limited CO 2 supply and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we report integrative Ni 1 –P x catalytic pairs (Ni 1 –P x /ICPs) that exhibit super CO 2 ‐to‐CO conversion efficiency under low‐concentration CO 2 conditions. In situ attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements show that P incorporation modulates the electrochemical microenvironment and accelerates reaction kinetics. H/D isotopic substitution experiments and theoretical calculations unveil a mechanistic transition from an Eley–Rideal to Langmuir–Hinshelwood pathway, enabled by cooperative adsorption on adjacent Ni and P sites. Notably, a hydrogen‐bonded six‐membered Ni–C–O–H–O–P–Ni ring forms between adsorbed CO 2 and H 2 O, facilitating proton‐coupled electron transfer and lowering the reaction barrier. This unique adsorption motif enhances CO 2 activation, suppresses HER, and enables efficient CO generation at low CO 2 concentrations. Our findings show the importance of atomically dispersed catalytic pairs for advancing carbon utilization and overcoming selectivity challenges in electrochemical hydrogenation.
Authors
- Yuhang Jin
- Fangxin Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5512-5076)
- Xiao Cheng Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4672-8585)
- Yu Lan Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9617-152X)
- Xiongyi Liang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6182-6189)
- Tingting Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3539-4612)
- Bin Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4685-2052)
- Yuhang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5784-3581)
- Jie Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1427-9618)
- Pingping Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6859-9520)
- Lingyue Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5000-1605)
- Hongbin Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8944-0062)
- Xiuwen Shi
Institutions
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Suzhou University of Science and Technology (CN)
- City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie
- Published
- 2025-10-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202518003
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00