Electrochemistry-Induced Restructuring of Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Nanocrystal Films of Relevance to CO2 Reduction

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 into fuels using renewable electricity presents an opportunity to utilize captured CO2. Electrocatalyst development has been a primary focus of research in this area. This is especially true at the nanoscale, where researchers have focused on understanding nanostructure-property relationships. However, electrocatalyst structure may evolve during operation. Indium- and tin-based oxides have been widely studied as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to formate, but evolution of these catalysts during operation is not well-characterized. Here, we report the evolution of nanoscale structure of precise tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals under CO2 reduction conditions. We show that sparse monolayer nanocrystal films desorb from the electrode upon charging, but thicker nanocrystal films remain, likely due to an increased number of physical contacts. Upon applying a cathodic voltage of -1.0 V vs RHE or greater, the original 10-nm diameter nanocrystals are no longer visible, and instead form a larger microstructural network. Elemental analysis suggests the network is an oxygen-deficient indium-tin metal alloy. We hypothesize that this morphological evolution is the result of nanocrystal sintering due to oxide reduction. These data provide insights into the morphological evolution of tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystal electrocatalysts under reducing conditions and highlight the importance of post-electrochemical structural characterization of electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

This study investigates the structural evolution of nanoscale tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals under CO2 reduction conditions. The research reveals that thicker nanocrystal films remain stable due to increased physical contacts, leading to morphological evolution into a larger metal alloy network. The findings highlight the importance of post-electrochemical structural characterization of electrocatalysts.