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August 25, 2025Angewandte Chemie International Edition16 citations

Volcano‐Shaped Relationship Between Interfacial K+‐H2O Ratio and CO2 Reduction Activity in Tandem Electrocatalysts

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LZLu‐Hua ZhangYHYaohua HongYGYabo Guo

Key Points

  • ECRR performance significantly improves as the K+‐H2O ratio optimally regulates *H supply for CO2 reduction.
  • Cu4/Ni1 NC achieves over 95% Faradaic efficiency for CO2 within a potential range of −0.2 to −1.0 V.
  • Tandem electrocatalysts are developed by coupling tetranuclear metal clusters with single-atom Ni sites on N-doped carbon.
  • The findings suggest a volcanic relationship exists between the K+‐H2O ratio and ECRR performance, requiring careful kinetic management.

Abstract

Abstract Modulating surface‐active hydrogen (*H) supply represents a critical strategy to boost the electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (ECRR), yet the mechanistic interplay between *H dynamics and catalytic behavior remains ambiguous. Herein, we construct tandem catalysts (M 4 /Ni 1 NC, M = Fe, Co, Cu, or Mn) by coupling tetranuclear metal clusters (M 4 ) with single‐atom Ni sites on N‐doped carbon (Ni 1 NC) to regulate *H supply. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that the *H supply is governed by both thermodynamics and kinetic factors. The M 4 clusters provide the thermodynamic feasibility for *H supply for CO 2 activation. The *H supply rate in kinetic perspective is tuned by the K + ‐H 2 O ratio of interfacial water, determined by work function of the decorated M 4 clusters. The increased K + ‐H 2 O ratio can promote water dissociation to maintain optimal *H coverage for intermediate hydrogenation, whereas excessive *H accumulation triggers competitive hydrogen evolution. Therefore, a volcanic relationship was observed between the K + ‐H 2 O ratio and ECRR performance. Among these samples, Cu 4 /Ni 1 NC with moderate *H supply rate in kinetic exhibits exceptional ECRR performance, achieving >95% Faradaic efficiency for CO across a 0.8 V potential range (−0.2 to −1.0 V versus RHE) and industrial‐relevant current densities (∼385 mA cm −2 at −1.0 V) in a flow cell.

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Cite This Study

Zhang et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68af5d63ad7bf08b1eae0906https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202514557
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