Block Copolymer Particle‐Templated Cavitated Carbons Achieve Local Alkalinity for Enhancing Acidic Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction

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Abstract
Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) in neutral or alkaline environment suffers from carbonate formation, leading to low CO 2 utilization. Acidic operation can mitigate this issue, but is hampered by the dominant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, we report a cavitated carbon particle (CCP)–supported Au catalyst featuring abundant inner cavities that sustain elevated local alkalinity. These cavities could be formed by inducing interfacial instability in block copolymer particles. A solid carbon particle (SCP)‐supported Au catalyst, which does not possess any cavities, was also synthesized, and the effect of the cavity for the CO 2 RR was evaluated in 5 wt.% Au/CCP and Au/SCP catalysts at pH 2. Flow cell data and multi‐physics simulation results confirm that a confined cavity geometry (diameter ∼130 nm) could increase local alkalinity significantly, suppressing HER and enhancing CO 2 reduction. The microenvironment was further modulated by changing the binder type, cation identity, and cation concentration. These findings establish cavity confinement as a powerful strategy to modulate the local reaction environment and enable selective CO 2 RR under highly acidic conditions, providing a viable pathway for efficient CO 2 electrolysis.
Funding Information
  • National Research Foundation of Korea

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