Exploring Heterostructures of D-Block Metal Oxides Coupled to ZnO for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂

Author(s)

Stamatelos, Ilias ; da Silva, Gelson T. S. T. ; Ribeiro, Caue ; Shviro, Meital

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS; v. 6, n. 22, p. 11-pg., 2023-11-14.

Abstract

Feasible electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) requires accessible and efficient catalyst materials. Herein, we prepared ZnO-based catalysts decorated with various d-block metal oxides (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu). The ECR performance of the heterostructured catalyst materials was evaluated by using a flow-cell configuration. Our findings indicate that ZnO is an active catalyst substrate with tunable selectivity and stability, which depend on the formed heterostructures' properties. We assessed and quantified the effect of the different d-block metals on the ECR activity of the composite catalyst. The Cu-ZnO catalyst exhibited a stability of 30 h and a selectivity of 77% for CO at a current density of 100 mA cm(-2). This work aimed to provide a fundamental understanding of composite heterostructured materials' properties and electrochemical behavior. We demonstrated that heterostructure engineering is a promising and cost-effective strategy for developing ECR catalysts with enhanced stability. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 18/01258-5 - Novel chemical catalytic and photocatalytic processes for the direct conversion of methane and CO2 to products
• Grantee: José Maria Correa Bueno
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 22/10255-5 - Architectures based on metal phosphides and nitrides for photo(electro)chemical conversion of CO2 into C2+ compounds
• Grantee: Gelson Tiago dos Santos Tavares da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral