SnSe₂ Nanorods on Carbon Cloth as a Highly Selective, Active, and Flexible Electrocatalyst for Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ into Formate

Abstract

Electrochemical reduction reaction of CO2 (CO2RR) into value-added products, such as formate, is a fascinating strategy for a carbon-neutral cycle. However, the pursuit of highly selective, energetic efficient, and robust electrocatalysts is a prerequisite for its implementation. Herein, SnSe2 nanorods supported on carbon cloth (CC) is proposed to selectively and efficiently electrochemical reduce CO2 into formate. The integrated SnSe2@CC electrocatalyst is prepared by a combination of hydrothermal reaction and selenylation. Notably, this electrocatalyst is capable of generating formate with a considerable current density of 12.0 mA cm–2 and a high formate faradaic efficiency of 88.4% at a low potential of −0.76 V (vs RHE), which rivals most of Sn-based electrocatalysts toward formate formation. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the reaction pathway involving *OCOH intermediate is energetically feasible. Moreover, the SnSe2@CC electrocatalyst also demonstrates a good durability and flexibility. This experimental and theoretical study may provide a perspective on a promising class of high performance and flexible electrocatalysts for CO2RR.