Ultrasmall La₂O₃ Nanoparticles Supported on Cu₂O/Copper Foam for CO₂ Energization

Electrochemical CO 2 energization represents a promising strategy to mitigate its emission and promote resourceful utilization. The production of alcohols offers a sustainable pathway for converting CO 2 into value-added chemicals, which is often hindered by low selectivity and high overpotential. In this work, a class of ultrasmall La 2 O 3 nanoparticle-modified Cu 2 O-based catalyst has been synthesized in situ on a copper foam substrate through a simple hydrothermal method. The optimized catalyst demonstrated a high ethanol Faradaic efficiency of 51.7% at −1.0 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE); simultaneously, syngas (CO/H 2 ) was generated with Faradaic efficiencies of 28.27% for CO and 4.8% for H 2 . This product distribution characteristic enables efficient separation and utilization of both liquid (ethanol) and gaseous (syngas) products. This study highlights the pivotal role of rare earth elements in enhancing CO 2 RR efficiency by stabilizing reaction intermediates for facilitating C–C coupling. Furthermore, it presents a scalable and cost-effective approach for CO 2 energization, paving the way for sustainable green energy production and carbon resource management.