Overlaid Conductive Silver Nanowire Networks on Gas Diffusion Electrodes for High‐Performance Electrochemical CO <sub>2</sub> ‐to‐C <sub>2+</sub> Conversion
Designing selective and durable electrodes for the electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (eCO<sub>2</sub>RR) requires both efficient charge transport and favorable catalytic interfaces. Conventional carbon-based gas diffusion electrodes are unstable due to electrolyte flooding, whereas flood-resistant polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrates exhibit low electrical conductivity. Herein, a stacked-electrode architecture is reported to overcome these limitations, comprising PTFE as a porous substrate, Cu<sub>2</sub>O nanocubes as a catalyst layer, and Ag nanowire (Ag NW) networks as a current collector. The catalytic performance is highly dependent on the stacking sequence, with the PTFE/Cu<sub>2</sub>O/Ag configuration achieving remarkable C<sub>2+</sub> selectivity and durability while exhibiting electrical resistance comparable to that of carbon paper. In alkaline electrolytes, this configuration exhibits a Faradaic efficiency toward C<sub>2+</sub> (FE<sub>C2+</sub>) of 79% and stable operation for more than 50 h, significantly outperforming conventional carbon paper-based electrodes. Mechanistic studies reveal that the Ag NW networks not only ensure the coexistence of Cu(0)/Cu(I) species but also generate CO to drive tandem reactions, promoting C<sub>2+</sub> production. Furthermore, it reaches an even higher FE<sub>C2+</sub> of 86% while maintaining long-term stability under neutral electrolytes. These findings provide a versatile strategy for the rational design of durable and selective electrodes for eCO<sub>2</sub>RR.
Authors
- Sungjoo Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5024-0692)
- Jonghyeok Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0431-9046)
- Hyunjoon Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1565-5697)
- Yunkyoung Han
Institutions
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2026-03-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.75003
- Primary Topic
- CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00