Modulation of Local Electronic Structure in Double‐Shell Hollow Cu 2 O via Pyridyl Ligands for Efficient CO 2 ‐to‐Ethylene Conversion

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Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) offers an attractive route for carbon valorization to bulk chemicals by using sustainable energy. However, its practical application is hindered by sluggish C─C coupling kinetics and poor C 2 H 4 selectivity at high current densities. While hollow‐structured Cu 2 O can enrich *CO intermediates, further enhancing C─C coupling on such structures remains challenging. In this context, we developed a ligand modulation strategy to tailor the catalytic properties of double‐shell hollow Cu 2 O by anchoring π‐conjugated 1,4‐bis(4‐pyridyl)benzene (BPB) onto the Cu 2 O surface via Cu─N coordination bonds. Concentration‑dependent studies identify 10 mM BPB as the optimal balance between electronic modulation and surface accessibility. In situ ATR‑SEIRAS and density functional theory calculations collectively demonstrate that the electron donation from pyridinic N donors to Cu + sites promotes CO 2 activation and *COOH formation, while the strengthened *CO adsorption is expected to facilitate C─C coupling. As a result, the optimized Cu 2 O‐BPB‐10 catalyst delivered a C 2 H 4 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 61.6% and a total C 2+ FE of 85.1% at a current density of 600 mA cm −2 . This work provides a facile and versatile ligand engineering strategy for designing high‐performance Cu‐based catalysts for practical electrochemical CO 2 reduction under industrially relevant conditions.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (22571168)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFA1507200)

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