Highly Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic CO <sub>2</sub> Reduction to Ethanol by Cu <sub>4</sub> Clusters with Adjacent Cu Single Atoms Anchored on Carbon Nitride

Z Zhenguo Guo H Houjuan Yang (Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Value‐Added Catalytic Conversion and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 P.R. China) X Xi Huang Y Yu Ning (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Medical Oncology, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Antitumor Drug Transformation Research) H Hao Luo J Jianhui Xie (Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering) J Jianbo He (Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Value‐Added Catalytic Conversion and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 P.R. China) Y Yingying Liu (Institute of Intelligent Machines, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science) T Tai‐Chu Lau (Department of Chemistry City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Hong Kong 999077 P.R. China)

Abstract

Abstract An efficient photocatalyst for CO 2 ‐to‐CH 3 CH 2 OH conversion comprising atomically dispersed Cu clusters (Cu 4 ) and single Cu sites coordinated with 2 N and 1 O anchored on two‐step calcinated C 3 N 4 (Cu 4 /Cu 1 @CN) is reported. It was found to catalyze the reduction of CO 2 to ethanol with production rate of 154 µmol g −1 h −1 and selectivity of 98%, the yield rate and selectivity exceed most of the reported results for ethanol production. Experimental and theoretical calculations indicate that the high efficiency of this catalyst arises from the strong synergy between Cu 4 clusters and adjacent Cu single atoms, which facilitates OC─CO coupling and promotes ethanol production.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 30
Published July 21, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (9)

Z

Zhenguo Guo

H

Houjuan Yang

Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Value‐Added Catalytic Conversion and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 P.R. China

X

Xi Huang

Y

Yu Ning

Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Medical Oncology, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Antitumor Drug Transformation Research

H

Hao Luo

J

Jianhui Xie

Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

J

Jianbo He

Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Value‐Added Catalytic Conversion and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hefei University of Technology Hefei 230009 P.R. China

Y

Yingying Liu

Institute of Intelligent Machines, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science

T

Tai‐Chu Lau

Department of Chemistry City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Hong Kong 999077 P.R. China