Geometric Modulation of Local CO Flux in Ag@Cu2O Nanoreactors for Steering the CO2RR Pathway toward High-Efficacy Methane Production

The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) to CH4 stands as one of the promising paths for resourceful CO2 utilization in meeting the imminent carbon-neutral goal of the near future. Yet, limited success has been witnessed in the development of high-efficiency catalysts imparting satisfactory methane selectivity at a commercially viable current density. Herein, a unique category of CO2RR catalysts is fabricated with the yolk-shell nanocell structure, comprising an Ag core and a Cu2O shell that resembles the tandem nanoreactor. By fixing the Ag core and tuning the Cu2O envelope size, the CO flux arriving at the oxide-derived Cu shell can be regulated, which further modulates the *CO coverage and *H adsorption at the Cu surface, consequently steering the CO2RR pathway. Density functional theory simulations show that lower CO coverage favors methane formation via stabilizing the intermediate *CHO. As a result, the best catalyst in the flow cell shows a high CH4 Faraday efficiency of 74 +/- 2% and partial current density of 178 +/- 5 mA cm(-2) at -1.2 V-RHE, ranking above the state-of-the-art catalysts reported today for methane production. These findings mark the significance of precision synthesis in tailoring the catalyst geometry for achieving desired CO2RR performance.

Automated summary

A novel CO2RR catalyst with a yolk-shell nanocell structure was developed, allowing for the regulation of the CO2RR pathway by adjusting the Ag core and Cu2O shell. Density functional theory simulations showed that lower CO coverage favored methane formation by stabilizing the intermediate *CHO. The catalyst demonstrated excellent CO2RR performance in a flow cell, achieving high methane selectivity and efficiency.