Constructed Cu-Ni Alloy Nanowires Enhance the CO

Electrocatalysis CO2 reduction for ethylene(C2H4) production based on clean energy is an effective strategy to address energy issues and the climate crisis. However, the limited catalytic selectivity and high production costs of C2H4 hinder its commercial application. Here, we employ a nonprecious metal-doping strategy to in situ construct Cu-Ni alloy nanowires (Cu-Ni NWs) on the gas diffusion layer (GDL). Ni-doping modulated the electronic environment of Cu, significantly improving the product distribution of CO2 reduction. At -1.0 V, the Faradaic efficiency for C2H4 reached 49.18%, with a current density of 290.01 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the Cu-Ni NWs exhibited significant catalytic stability over 40 h. Mechanistic studies indicate that Ni atoms provide more CO2 adsorption and activation sites on the catalyst surface, facilitating the CO2RR. Furthermore, Ni doping significantly enhances the adsorption of the *CO intermediate and lowers the kinetic barrier for C-C coupling, directing the reaction preferentially toward the C2H4 pathway. This work expands the design space for nonprecious metal catalysts, which should be inspiring for the development of low-cost, high-performance CO2 reduction electrocatalysts.