journal article·2026-02

Dual Electric Fields Enrich and Stabilize Intermediates for Efficient Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction to Multi‐Carbon Products

Feng Xie, Shaoqi Zhan, Zihan You, Jiao Lan, Linghu Meng, Wei Zheng, Yuanguo Chen, Ming Peng, Yongwen Tan

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 36· Issue 16
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Abstract

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of CO 2 , a technology with great potential for renewable energy storage and climate change mitigation, depends on critical C─C coupling steps in CO 2 RR to ensure efficient high‐value hydrocarbon production. In this work, a local interface electric field and a tip‐induced electric field are constructed on Ag‐embedded Cu nanoneedle arrays to enhance the concentration of the *CO intermediate and regulate the adsorption of key intermediates, respectively. This optimization of the reaction microenvironment promotes the deep reduction of the *CO intermediate into multi‐carbon products (C 2+ ), with a faradaic efficiency of 83.7% and a C 2+ local current density of −526 mA cm −2 within gas‐fed flow cells. Experimental evidence and simulations validate that the interface electric field of the Cu‐Ag bimetallic catalyst increased surface *CO coverage, substantially lowering the formation barrier for *CHO intermediate, and the tip‐induced electric field that can stabilize *CO intermediate and suppress hydrogen evolution, promoting the C─C coupling process. The formation of the dual electric fields profoundly induced local environments and ultimately, the dominant C 2+ product, which offers significant design guidelines for adjusting the supply and demand balance of reaction intermediates.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts · Ionic liquids properties and applications · Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

College of Materials Science and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technology for Vehicle Body Hunan University Changsha Hunan 410082 China

Department of Chemistry‐Ångström Laboratory Molecular Biomimetics Uppsala University Uppsala 75120 Sweden

School of Metallurgy and Environment Central South University Changsha Hunan 410083 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body · Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

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