Hierarchical S-modified Cu porous nanoflakes for efficient CO2 electroreduction to formate

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into liquid fuels is a promising approach to achieving a carbon-neutral energy cycle but remains a great challenge due to the lack of efficient catalysts. Here, the hierarchical architectures assembled by ultrathin and porous S-modified Cu nanoflakes (Cu-S NFs) are designed and constructed as an efficient electrocatalyst for CO2 conversion to formate with high partial current density. Specifically, when integrated into a gas diffusion electrode in a flow cell, Cu-S NFs are capable of delivering the ultrahigh formate current density up to 404.1 mA cm(-2) with a selectivity of 89.8%. Electrochemical tests and theoretical calculations indicate that the superior performance of the designed catalysts may be attributed to the unique structure, which can provide abundant active sites, fast charge transfer, and highly active edge sites.

Automated summary

In this study, hierarchical structures composed of ultrathin and porous S-modified Cu nanoflakes were designed as an efficient electrocatalyst for the conversion of CO2 into formate. The designed catalysts exhibited ultrahigh formate current density with high selectivity, which can be attributed to their unique structure providing abundant active sites, fast charge transfer, and highly active edge sites.