Precursor-Directed Thermal Synthesis of Copper Catalysts for Tunable CO2 to CH4 and C2H4 Conversion at Industrial Current Densities

Scalable copper catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction have been prepared through precursor-directed thermal synthesis, enabling tunable conversion to CH4 and C2H4 at industrial current densities. Thermal treatment of distinct copper precursor salts was found to yield nanostructured catalysts with composition- and morphology-dependent selectivity, and high Faradaic efficiencies under flow conditions. This simple, low-cost process demonstrates that precursor chemistry can control active phase formation and product distribution, providing a practical route toward scalable CO2 electroreduction.