Nanoporous Intermetallic SnTe Enables Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction into Formate via Promoting the Fracture of Metal-Oxygen Bonding

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into formate product is considered the most practical significance link in the carbon cycle. Developing cheap and efficient electrocatalysts with high selectivity for formate on a wide operated potential window is desirable yet challenging. Herein, nanoporous ordered intermetallic tin-tellurium (SnTe) is synthesized with a greater reduction performance for electrochemical CO2 to formate reduction compared to bare Sn. This nanoporous SnTe achieves 93% Faradaic efficiency for formate production and maintains over 90% Faradaic efficiency at a wide voltage range from -1.0 to -1.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), together with 60 h stability. Combining operando Raman spectroscopy studies with density functional theory calculations reveals that strong orbital interaction between Sn and neighboring tellurium (Te) in the intermetallic SnTe can lower the barriers of the oxygen cutoff hydrogenation and desorption steps by promoting the fracture of bond between metal and oxygen, leading to the significant enhancement of formate production.

Automated summary

This study successfully improved the reduction of CO2 to formate by synthesizing nanoporous ordered intermetallic tin-tellurium. The intermetallic SnTe exhibited high selectivity, Faradaic efficiency, and stability for formate production. The strong orbital interaction in the alloy was found to promote the hydrogenation and desorption steps, leading to enhanced formate production.