High‐Current‐Density Acidic CO 2 Electroreduction to Formic Acid Enabled by Multiscale Microenvironment Regulation Over Defect‐Rich Sn/SnO x
ABSTRACT Acidic CO 2 electrolysis to formic acid circumvents carbonate formation and enables direct product recovery, yet is hindered by severe competition between formate‐producing *OCHO and hydrogen‐producing *H intermediates. Here, we develop a hierarchical site‐solvation‐transport regulation strategy to direct this competition toward formic acid. Mixed, undercoordinated Sn/SnO x nanoclusters provide catalytic environments associated with the *OCHO pathway, while K + ‐dependent interfacial solvation is associated with reduced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) competition and enhanced formic acid selectivity. A Janus asymmetric‐wettability electrode further stabilizes CO 2 mass transport and prevents electrolyte flooding, sustaining a favorable cathodic microenvironment. This integrated strategy achieves ∼85% formic acid Faradaic efficiency in acidic media with an initial 18 h stability window at 400 mA cm −2 . This work establishes a multiscale strategy for coupling intermediate selectivity with mass‐transport management in acidic CO 2 electrolysis.
Authors
- Qiaoqi Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9413-3514)
- Le Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3944-0329)
- Mengyang Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9771-8670)
- Yijing Xia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0786-7486)
- Bowen Jiang
- Rongrong Tang
- Huajun Feng
- Kunyu Jiang
- Qinong Zhu
Institutions
- Zhejiang A & F University (CN)
- Sichuan University (CN)
- Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
- Zhejiang Gongshang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2026-09-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77692
- Primary Topic
- Carbon dioxide utilization in catalysis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00