Built‐In Electric Field Triggered Interfacial Water Activation for Industrial‐Level Electrosynthesis of Ethylene from CO <sub>2</sub>

The electrochemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> to ethylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>), as opposed to traditional industrial methods, stands out as an environmentally friendly benign and promising technical solution for producing value-added chemicals using renewable electricity. Here, we introduce a built-in electric field in La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu (BEF@La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu) electrocatalyst that can exclusively convert from CO<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 84.2% and high intrinsic activity exceeding 842.0 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, while maintaining robust stability of 110 h. Furthermore, the corresponding C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> formation rate and energy efficiency can reach 2618.0 µmol cm<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> and 31.2%, respectively. The BEF@La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu electrocatalyst was constructed by stacking La(OH)<sub>3</sub> and Cu layers, forming a built-in electric field induced by electron transfer between La→O←Cu. The electric field effectively triggered H<sub>2</sub>O dissociation on La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu interface for supplying active hydrogen (*H) species, which promoted multiple protonation steps in the process of CO<sub>2</sub>-to-C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> conversion. The *H species then easily migrate to Cu sites, reducing the energy barrier for the conversion from *CO to *COH, thus enhancing the efficient asymmetric *CO-*COH coupling and ultimately boosting the C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> production under ampere-level operation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Published
2025-10-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202517221
Citations
5
Primary Topic
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.82

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article

Built‐In Electric Field Triggered Interfacial Water Activation for Industrial‐Level Electrosynthesis of Ethylene from CO 2

Zhijun Zhu, Weiwei Guo, Wenshan Gao, Xiaoquan Lu et al.
5 citations
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
1.82
article

Built‐In Electric Field Triggered Interfacial Water Activation for Industrial‐Level Electrosynthesis of Ethylene from CO 2

Zhijun Zhu, Weiwei Guo, Wenshan Gao, Xiaoquan Lu, Doudou Liu, Xianzhen Lang, Qian Gong, Yanling Zhai, Guixian Xie
article en
5 citations

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> to ethylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>), as opposed to traditional industrial methods, stands out as an environmentally friendly benign and promising technical solution for producing value-added chemicals using renewable electricity. Here, we introduce a built-in electric field in La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu (BEF@La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu) electrocatalyst that can exclusively convert from CO<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 84.2% and high intrinsic activity exceeding 842.0 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, while maintaining robust stability of 110 h. Furthermore, the corresponding C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> formation rate and energy efficiency can reach 2618.0 µmol cm<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> and 31.2%, respectively. The BEF@La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu electrocatalyst was constructed by stacking La(OH)<sub>3</sub> and Cu layers, forming a built-in electric field induced by electron transfer between La→O←Cu. The electric field effectively triggered H<sub>2</sub>O dissociation on La(OH)<sub>3</sub>-Cu interface for supplying active hydrogen (*H) species, which promoted multiple protonation steps in the process of CO<sub>2</sub>-to-C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> conversion. The *H species then easily migrate to Cu sites, reducing the energy barrier for the conversion from *CO to *COH, thus enhancing the efficient asymmetric *CO-*COH coupling and ultimately boosting the C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> production under ampere-level operation.

Angewandte Chemie International EditionVol. 64(52)
Qingdao University (CN), Zero to Three (US), Northwest Normal University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
1.82
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