Metal-Organic Framework Derived Cu-Ag Interface for Selective Carbon Monoxide Electroreduction to Acetate

Electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction reaction (CORR) is a potential way to obtain high-value multi-carbon (C2+) products. However, achieving high selectivity to acetate is still a challenge. Herein, we develop a two-dimensional Ag-modified Cu metal-organic framework (Ag-0.10@CuMOF-74) that demonstrates Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C2+ products up to 90.4 % at 200 mA cm(-2) and an acetate FE of 61.1 % with a partial current density of 122.2 mA cm(-2). Detailed investigations show that the introduction of Ag on CuMOF-74 favors the generation of abundant Cu-Ag interface sites. In situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy confirms that these Cu-Ag interface sites improve the coverage of *CO and *CHO and the coupling between each other and stabilize key intermediates *OCCHO and *OCCH2, thus significantly promoting to the acetate selectivity on Ag-0.10@CuMOF-74. This work provides a high-efficiency pathway for CORR to C2+ products.

Automated summary

Researchers have developed a two-dimensional Ag-modified Cu metal-organic framework that shows high selectivity to acetate at high current density.