Nano-Micro Letters (Oct 2023)

Atomic Cu Sites Engineering Enables Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to Methane with High CH4/C2H4 Ratio

  • Minhan Li,
  • Fangzhou Zhang,
  • Min Kuang,
  • Yuanyuan Ma,
  • Ting Liao,
  • Ziqi Sun,
  • Wei Luo,
  • Wan Jiang,
  • Jianping Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-023-01188-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Highlights The Cu-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) material is synthesized by an in situ thermal polymerization strategy, through which the atomic dispersion and coordination structure of Cu on g-C3N4 are realized by regulating the doping level of Cu. High Faraday efficiency of CH4 of 49.04% and a maximum CH4/C2H4 ratio up to 35.03 are achieved for the first time on g-C3N4-supported Cu single-atom catalyst. Structure–activity relationship analysis based on experimental and theoretical studies demonstrates the well-defined Cu single atoms coordinated with N atoms in the nitrogen cavity of g-C3N4 are active sites for CO2-to-CH4.

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