Highly selective and active Cu-In2O3/C nanocomposite for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO.

The Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite prepared by a simple solid-phase reduction exhibits highly selective electrocatalytic activity for reduction of CO 2 to CO with Faraday efficiency (86.7%) at −0.48 V vs. RHE, as well as large current densities (55 mA cm−2) under low overpotentials (−1.08 V vs. RHE) and good stability in electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2. Meanwhile, it is found that the tunable syngas formation can be obtained by rationally adjusting the applied potential using the Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite as an electrocatalyst. • The Cu-In 2 O 3 /C composite was prepared by a simple solid-phase reduction method. • Cu-In 2 O 3 /C exhibits highly selective catalytic activity for reduction of CO 2 to CO. • The tunable syngas can be obtained on Cu-In 2 O 3 /C by adjusting the applied potential. The Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite was prepared by a simple solid-phase reduction method. The introduction of In 2 O 3 into Cu/C to form the Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite evidently enhances the electrocatalytic activity for the selective reduction of CO 2 to CO. Specifically, the Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite exhibits higher Faraday efficiency (FE = 86.7%) at −0.48 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to CO and larger current densities (55 mA cm−2) under a low overpotential (−1.08 V vs. RHE). These indicate its superior performance over many of the reported Cu-based catalysts [1–4]. It was also found that by rationally adjusting the applied potential, tunable syngas can be formed, which can be used to synthesize formic acid, methyl ether, methanol, synthetic fuels, or other bulk chemicals through appropriate industrial processes. Furthermore, the Cu-In 2 O 3 /C nanocomposite maintains good stability in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2. This work demonstrates a novel strategy to convert CO 2 into desired products with high energy efficiency and large current density under low overpotential by the rational designing of non-precious metal catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]