摘要
The electrocatalytic conversion of CO_(2) into valuable chemical feedstocks using renewable electricity offers a compelling strategy for closing the carbon loop.While copper-based materials are effective in catalyzing CO_(2) to C_(2+)products,the instability of Cu^(+)species,which tend to reduce to Cu~0 at cathodic potentials during CO_(2) reduction,poses a significant challenge.Here,we report the development of SmCu_(2)O and investigate the influence of f-d orbital hybridization on the CO_(2) reduction reaction (CO_(2)RR).Supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations,our experimental results demonstrate that hybridization between Sm^(3+)4f and Cu^(+)3d orbitals not only improves the adsorption of *CO intermediates and increases CO coverage to stabilize Cu^(+) but also facilitates CO_(2) activation and lowers the energy barriers for CAC coupling.Notably,Sm-Cu_(2)O achieves a Faradaic efficiency for C_(2)H_(4) that is 38%higher than that of undoped Cu_(2)O.Additionally,it sustains its catalytic activity over an extended operational period exceeding 7 h,compared to merely 2 h for the undoped sample.This research highlights the potential of fd orbital hybridization in enhancing the efficacy of copper-based catalysts for CO_(2)RR,pointing towards a promising direction for the development of durable,high-performance electrocatalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis.
基金
Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant nos.22379006,21575016,U20A20154,22279005)
from the National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals is gratefully acknowledged。