Dynamic Structural Changes in Nickel Single-Atom Catalysts During Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO

Abstract

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) is an important route for global carbon abatement. However, a comprehensive picture of the structure evolution of metal active sites is currently lacked in ECO2RR. Here, we present the first full view of Ni single-atom catalyst for ECO2RR over a broad potential range. Comprehensive X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses confirmed the Ni coordinated with pyrrole nitrogen in the form of Ni-N4 attached with an axial O2 ligand. Operando XAS revealed the precise structure of the Ni single-atom catalyst that dynamically changes with the shift of applied potentials. Such changes ultimately contributed to the CO selectivity variation ranging from 20%-99%. Interestingly, the Ni center was found to move toward the N4 plane during the ECO2RR, which played a crucial role of reaching near-unity CO selectivity. Together with theoretical calculations, a clear quantitative correlation between the dynamic configuration and the catalytic properties was established.