On the Oxidation State of Cu O upon Electrochemical CO Reduction: An XPS Study.

The encouraging selectivity of copper oxides for the electroreduction of CO into ethylene and alcohols has led to a vivid debate on the possible relation between their operando (sub-)surface oxidation state (i. e. fully reduced or partially oxidized) and this distinct reactivity. The high roughness of the Cu oxides used in previous studies on this matter adds complexity to this controversy and motivated us to prepare quasi-planar Cu O thin films that displayed a CO reduction selectivity similar to that of oxide-derived copper catalysts reported in previous studies. Most importantly, when the post-mortem thin films were transferred for characterization in an air-free environment, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed their complete reduction in the course of the CO reduction reaction. Thus, our results indicate that the selectivity of the Cu oxides featured in previous studies stems from their enhanced roughness, highlighting the importance of controlled sample transfer upon post-mortem characterization with ex situ techniques.