Asymmetrical electrohydrogenation of CO ₂ to ethanol with copper–gold heterojunctions

Abstract

Copper is distinctive in electrocatalyzing reduction of CO₂ into various energy-dense forms, but it often suffers from limited product selectivity including ethanol in competition with ethylene. Here, we describe systematically designed, bimetallic electrocatalysts based on copper/gold heterojunctions with a faradaic efficiency toward ethanol of 60% at currents in excess of 500 mA cm^-2. In the modified catalyst, the ratio of ethanol to ethylene is enhanced by a factor of 200 compared to copper catalysts. Analysis by ATR-IR measurements under operating conditions, and by computational simulations, suggests that reduction of CO₂ at the copper/gold heterojunction is dominated by generation of the intermediate OCCOH*. The latter is a key contributor in the overall, asymmetrical electrohydrogenation of CO₂ giving ethanol rather than ethylene.