Electroreduction of carbon dioxide to formate over a thin-layered tin diselenide electrode

Electroreduction is a promising technique for the conversion of CO2 into fuel or valuable chemicals. In this study, thin-layered SnSe2 as a robust catalyst for CO2 electroreduction was reported, efficiently furnishing formate with a high faradaic efficiency of 91 +/- 4% and a stable activity for more than 100 h. The promising electrochemical performances of thin-layered SnSe2 were related to the increased abundance of the exposed active sites, enhanced conductivity, the absence of binders and the presence of selenium promoters in SnSe2. This work can open new avenues for the development of transition metal dichalcogenide-based electrocatalysts with high efficiency.