Rational Design of a Hierarchical Tin Dendrite Electrode for Efficient Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

Catalysis is a key technology for the synthesis of renewable fuels through electrochemical reduction of CO2. However, successful CO2 reduction still suffers from the lack of affordable catalyst design and understanding the factors governing catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate that the CO2 conversion selectivity on Sn (or SnOx/Sn) electrodes is correlated to the native oxygen content at the subsurface. Electrochemical analyses show that the reduced Sn electrode with abundant oxygen species effectively stabilizes a CO2 center dot- intermediate rather thanthe clean Sn surface, and consequently results in enhanced formate production in the CO2 reduction. Based on this design strategy, a hierarchical Sn dendrite electrode with high oxygen content, consisting of a multi-branched conifer-like structure with an enlarged surface area, was synthesized. The electrode exhibits a superior formate production rate (228.6 mu mol h(-1) cm(-2)) at -1.36 V-RHE without any considerable catalytic degradation over 18 h of operation.