In–Bi Electrocatalyst for the Reduction of CO₂ to Formate in a Wide Potential Window

Abstract

The CO 2 atmospheric concentration level hit the record at more than 400 ppm and is predicted to keep increasing as the dependence on fossil fuels is inevitable. The CO 2 electrocatalytic conversion becomes an alternative due to its environmental and energy-friendly properties and benign operation condition. Lately, bimetallic materials have drawn significant interest as electrocatalysts due to their distinct properties, which the parents' metal cannot mimic. Herein, the indium−bismuth nanosphere (In 16 Bi 84 NS) was fabricated via the facile liquid-polyol technique. The In 16 Bi 84 NS exhibits exceptional performance for CO 2 reduction to formate, with the faradaic efficiency (FE) approaching ∼100% and a corresponding partial current density of 14.1 mA cm −2 at −0.94 V [vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)]. Furthermore, the FE could be maintained above 90% in a wide potential window (−0.84 to −1.54 V vs the RHE). This superior performance is attributed to the tuned electronic properties induced by the synergistic interaction between In and Bi, enabling the intermediates to be stably adsorbed on the catalyst surface to generate more formate ions.

Bi2S3nanorods grown on multiwalled carbon nanotubes as highly active catalysts for CO2electroreduction to formate

“…On the one hand, the Tafel slopes of both catalysts are close to 118 mV dec −1 , which indicates the first single electron transfer step in the formation of the intermediate CO 2 ˙ − is the rate-determining step for CO 2 electroreduction. 44,45 On the other hand, the lower Tafel slope of the Bi 2 S 3 /CNTs catalyst confirms its faster electrochemical kinetics towards the formation of intermediate CO 2 ˙ − from CO 2 . According to the reaction mechanism of the eCO 2 RR to HCOO − , both the high catalyst/electrolyte contact surface and low charge transfer resistance can facilitate faster charge transfer.…”

Dinuclear metal synergistic catalysis for energy conversion

“…19d and e potential window from À0.84 to À1.54 V (vs. RHE), with the maximum FE formate approaching 100% at À0.94 V. The superior catalytic performance of Bi-In DMC is attributed to the electronic synergistic effect between In and Bi to regulate the binding energy of intermediates, thus facilitating formate production. 261 Chen et al designed and synthesized a Bi-Sn DMC via the deposition of SnO 2 nanosheets on a flexible carbon support with a hydrothermal method, followed by the electrodeposition of Bi nanoparticles on the surface of the SnO 2 nanosheets. Benefiting from the active sites at the Bi-Sn interface, the Bi-Sn DMC exhibited high activity for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction to formate with an FE of 96% at À1.1 V (vs. RHE), which is much higher than that for Bi and Sn MMCs.…”

“…Many strategies have also been developed to design and synthesize heterogeneous DMCs to achieve photo- and electrocatalytic CO 2 RR. 221–276 However, more examples have been reported for the latter.…”

Ag‐induced Phase Transition of Bi2O3 Nanofibers for Enhanced Energy Conversion Efficiency towards Formate in CO2 Electroreduction

“…[1] A series of transition metals (e. g., Sn, In, Bi, Pb, etc. )[ 2 , 3 ] and metal‐oxides (e. g., CuO x , SnO x , CoO x , BiO x , etc. ), [4] have been explored for enhancing CO 2 electroreduction to formate.…”

“…reported an In−Bi nanosphere bimetallic electrocatalyst, which demonstrated enhanced CO 2 ‐to‐formate performance with approaching 100% FE at −0.94 V vs. RHE due to the tuned electronic properties induced by the synergistic interaction between In and Bi. [3] Luo et al. constructed the Bi/Bi 2 O 3 junction nanosheets and directly assembled them on conductive carbon fibre papers, reaching a formate yield rate of 32.4 mA ⋅ mg −1 cm −2 and a FE of 90.3% at −0.87 V. [13] …”