Monodisperse Cu Nanoparticles\nSupported on a Versatile\nMetal–Organic Framework for Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO<sub>2</sub>

Rare-earth metal–organic frameworks (REMOFs) based\non polynuclear\nmetal clusters are an emerging class of materials that have shown\npromise for CO<sub>2</sub> capture and conversion. In this work, copper\nnanoparticles (CuNPs) were successfully installed on a cluster-based\nY(III) MOF to yield a composite material, CuNP-Y-TBAP. The abundance\nof Cu binding sites on the Y(III) clusters allowed a remarkably high\nCu loading to be achieved, and electron microscopy demonstrated that\nthe MOF-supported CuNPs are exceptionally small and monodisperse.\nCuNP-Y-TBAP was found to be an active heterogeneous catalyst for electrochemical\nreduction of CO<sub>2</sub>, yielding CO and CH<sub>4</sub> as the\nprimary CO<sub>2</sub> reduction products.