Aqueous CO2 Reduction with High Efficiency Using α-Co(OH)2-Supported Atomic Ir Electrocatalysts

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into energy-dense chemical feedstock and fuels provides an attractive pathway to sustainable energy storage and artificial carbon cycle. Herein, we report the first work to use atomic Ir electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction. By using alpha-Co(OH)(2) as the support, the faradaic efficiency of CO could reach 97.6% with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 38290 h(-1) in aqueous electrolyte, which is the highest TOF up to date. The electrochemical active area is 23.4-times higher than Ir nanoparticles (2 nm), which is highly conductive and favors electron transfer from CO2 to its radical anion (CO2 center dot-). Moreover, the more efficient stabilization of CO2 center dot- intermediate and easy charge transfer makes the atomic Ir electrocatalyst facilitate CO production. Hence, alpha-Co(OH)(2)-supported atomic Ir electrocatalysts show enhanced CO2 activity and stability.