Oxygen‐Substituted Porous C<sub>2</sub>N Frameworks as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction

S Shuai Wang S Shujie Zhou (School of Chemical Engineering) Z Zhipeng Ma N Nana Gao (Engineering Research Center For Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng P.R. China) R Rahman Daiyan J Joshua Leverett (Particles and Catalysis Research Group School of Chemical Engineering University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia) Y Yihao Shan (School of Chemical Engineering) X Xiaofeng Zhu Y Yufei Zhao (State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering) Q Qiang Liu R Rose Amal (School of Chemical Engineering) X Xunyu Lu T Tianxi Liu (Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering) M Markus Antonietti (Department of Colloid Chemistry) Y Yinguang Chen (State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse School of Environmental Science and Engineering Tongji University 1239 Siping Road Shanghai 200092 P.R. China) Q Qingran Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse School of Environmental Science and Engineering Tongji University 1239 Siping Road Shanghai 200092 P.R. China) Z Zhihong Tian (Engineering Research Center for Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng P. R. China)

Abstract

AbstractThe electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) provides a green avenue for decarbonizing the conventional chemical industries. Here, a structure–selectivity relationship of catalysts is pivotal for the control of a highly selective and active CO2RR pathway. We report the fabrication of an oxygen‐substituted C2N as metal‐free catalyst (O─C2N) for electrochemical CO2─to─CO conversion with tunable O microenvironment. Combined spectroscopic analysis reveals a fine tailored N─C─O moiety in O─C2N, where C─O─C species (e.g., ring in‐plane ether) become the dominant oxygen configurations at higher pyrolysis temperatures. Based on experimental observations, a correlation between the exocyclic O‐substituted N─C─O─C moieties and CO selectivity is established, giving clear chemical tools for active structure design. The optimized O─C2N electrocatalysts with the dominant appearance of C─O─C moieties exhibit an outstanding 2e− CO2RR performance with a CO selectivity up to 94.8%, which can be well maintained in a practical flow‐cell reactor with an adjustable syngas feature.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 23
Published June 02, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (17)

S

Shuai Wang

S

Shujie Zhou

School of Chemical Engineering

Z

Zhipeng Ma

N

Nana Gao

Engineering Research Center For Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng P.R. China

R

Rahman Daiyan

J

Joshua Leverett

Particles and Catalysis Research Group School of Chemical Engineering University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia

Y

Yihao Shan

School of Chemical Engineering

X

Xiaofeng Zhu

Y

Yufei Zhao

State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering

Q

Qiang Liu

R

Rose Amal

School of Chemical Engineering

X

Xunyu Lu

T

Tianxi Liu

Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering

M

Markus Antonietti

Department of Colloid Chemistry

Y

Yinguang Chen

State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse School of Environmental Science and Engineering Tongji University 1239 Siping Road Shanghai 200092 P.R. China

Q

Qingran Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse School of Environmental Science and Engineering Tongji University 1239 Siping Road Shanghai 200092 P.R. China

Z

Zhihong Tian

Engineering Research Center for Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng P. R. China