Tuning the Selectivity of the CO <sub>2</sub> Reduction Reaction by Means of Synergistic Interactions in the Cu, Ag, Ce System
ABSTRACT Multi‐metal catalysts offer opportunities for high activity and selectivity in CO 2 electroreduction (eCO 2 RR) through multiple active sites and synergistic effects; however, achieving high current densities remains challenging. Cu x Ce y Ag z nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a modified solvothermal method, with Cu 9 Ce 9 Ag 1 identified as the optimal composition. This catalyst sustained activity up to −1 A cm −2 and delivered a partial current density of −707.2 mA cm −2 for C 2+ products at an iR‐corrected potential of −0.68 V. Ag promotes high local CO generation, while Ce modulates Cu oxidation states, optimizing Cu─O surface chemistry and *CO speciation to favor C─C coupling. In situ mass spectrometry indicated competitive proton utilization among H 2 , ethylene, and methane, with *CO dimerization governing ethylene production. Operando Raman spectroscopy revealed enhanced *CO coverage, a higher *CO atop /*CO bridge ratio, stable Cu─O species, and increased local pH on Cu 9 Ce 9 Ag 1 NPs, collectively suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction and accelerating CO 2 RR kinetics. These findings highlight the possibilities to rationally design multi‐metal catalysts to maximize synergetic effects, enabling high C 2+ selectivity at industrially relevant current densities.
Authors
- Nini Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9671-9746)
- Sabine Seisel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7390-1262)
- Ridha Zerdoumi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7724-823X)
- Bashir Eid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-5422)
- Thomas Quast (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6574-3847)
- Muhammad Adib Abdillah Mahbub (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3496-8728)
- Wangcheng Zhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0712-4917)
- Xin Wang
- Jian Zhang
- Wolfgang Schuhmann
Institutions
- East China University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-03-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202523046
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00