Tuning Multi‐Active Sites in Cu Catalyst via Ag/Ni Doping for Enhanced CO <sub>2</sub> Electroreduction to C <sub>2+</sub> Products

S Shuaiqiang Jia (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) H Hailian Cheng (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) Q Qinggong Zhu (Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,) X Xiao Chen C Cheng Xue (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) T Ting Deng (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) M Mengke Dong (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) Z Zhanghui Xia (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) J Jiapeng Jiao (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) C Chunjun Chen (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) H Haihong Wu (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) M Mingyuan He (Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) B Buxing Han (Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,)

Abstract

Abstract Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (ECR) to C 2+ products is a promising sustainable carbon conversion pathway, yet simultaneously achieving high Faradaic efficiency (FE) and current density remains a challenge. Herein, we found that creating Cu‐Ag‐Ni multi‐metal sites could effectively modulate the adsorption energies of *H and *CO on the catalyst surface, thereby achieving highly efficient ECR to synthesize C 2+ products. In situ measurements coupling theoretical calculations indicated that by systematically altering the spatial arrangement and distribution of active sites in Cu‐Ag‐Ni catalysts, the electronic structure and the local *CO coverage on the Cu surface could be tuned, consequently steering the ECR to C 2+ pathway. In particular, Cu‐Ag‐Ni catalyst with dispersed multi‐sites (Cu x AgNi DNPs) could more effectively reduce the energy barrier for C─C coupling than Cu‐Ag‐Ni catalyst with phase‐separated multi‐sites (Cu x AgNi PNPs). As a result, the Cu 40 AgNi DNPs catalyst with dispersed multi‐sites yielded C 2+ products with a FE of 93.2% and a current density up to 818.1 mA cm −2 at −1.38 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE), which are higher than most reported up to date for C 2+ production. This work provides a methodology for designing robust multi‐metallic ECR catalysts with tailored multi‐active site configurations.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 26
Published June 24, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (13)

S

Shuaiqiang Jia

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

H

Hailian Cheng

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

Q

Qinggong Zhu

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,

X

Xiao Chen

C

Cheng Xue

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

T

Ting Deng

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

M

Mengke Dong

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

Z

Zhanghui Xia

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

J

Jiapeng Jiao

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

C

Chunjun Chen

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

H

Haihong Wu

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

M

Mingyuan He

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

B

Buxing Han

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,