Amorphization-Activated Copper Indium Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Stable Syngas Production from Electrochemical CO Reduction.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO RR) refers to the conversion of carbon dioxide into compounds with added value through electrolysis. It is still a great challenge to design and manufacture efficient CO RR catalysts for desired products. Producing syngas via CO RR is an environmentally friendly way to reduce CO in the atmosphere and the dependence on fossil fuels. Herein, a new class of Cu/In O nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled phases and structures were successfully prepared as superior electrocatalysts for CO RR, where the CO/H ratios in syngas on Cu/In O NPs/C-H remained about 1 : 2 at a broad potential range and the total faradaic efficiency of H and CO always remained about 90 %. Electronic structural analysis revealed that the excellent performance was attributed to the electronic interaction between amorphous In O and Cu. This work broadens the horizons for designing and preparing fascinating electrocatalysts for CO RR.