Boosting Selectivity Toward Formate Production using CuAl Nanowires by Altering the CO2 Reduction Reaction Pathway

Understanding the fundamentals behind an electrocatalyst’s selectivity enables the ability to steer product formation. Herein, Cu nanowires were doped with Al (12%) for CO2R. Al doping was found to enhance formate production by 16.9% over pure Cu nanowires. The DFT calculations ascribed the enhancement in the CO₂R performance to the change in the adsorption energy of the intermediates and thus the favourability of the reaction path involving the CO₂ adsorbing through its oxygen terminals. The COR experiments supported that conclusion when CuNW was discovered to produce higher Faradic Efficiency (FE) C₂H₄than CuAlNW meaning that C-C dimerization is less supported on CuAl NW’s surface.