journal article·2025-07Open access

Accelerate Mass Transport of Proton and Carbon Sources by Super‐Hygroscopic and Porous Nanosheets for Continuous CO2‐To‐Ethylene Upgrade

Silong Dong, Guobin Wen, Xinyu Yang, Xiaowen Zhang, Shuxuan Liu, Haoyang Xiong, Yinyi Liu, Kai Zong, Hao Li, Yifan Li, Yi Cui, Bohua Ren, Xin Wang, Mingliang Jin, Zhongwei Chen

Advanced Science· Volume 12· Issue 28

Abstract

Abstract Gas‐water/catalyst triple‐phase interface and the microenvironment play critical roles in the reaction kinetics and production rate of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions (CO2RR), which steer concerted proton‐electron transfer steps. Inspired by Tillandsia leaves, which efficiently capture H2O and CO2 from the air, copper nanosheets with dual‐functional channels are we designed: the superhygroscopic network enables capillary condensation, converting H2O(g) into H2O(l) to form H2O channels that ensure a stable supply of protons, while the CO2 channels formed by the microporous structure enhance the diffusion of CO2, thus enriching the carbon source. This synergistic design creates an optimal microenvironment for CO2 conversion by simultaneously delivering both protons and CO2 to the reaction interface. Time‐of‐flight secondary‐ion mass spectroscopy (TOF‐SIMS), X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and multiphysics simulations further reveal the designed H2O and CO2 channels in the microenvironment to boost mass transports. Hence, the Faradaic efficiency (FE) for ethylene reaches up to 96% at ‐200 mA cm−2 with such localized triple‐phase interfaces, which simultaneously exhibits ultra‐high stability for over 170 h in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) system. This strategy provides a construction methodology of H2O and CO2 channels for improving the selectivity and stability of electrochemical CO2 upgrades.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts · Covalent Organic Framework Applications · Membrane Separation and Gas Transport

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

Affiliations

South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics South China Normal University Guangzhou Guangdong 510006 China

Institute of Carbon Neutrality Zhejiang Wanli University Ningbo 315100 China

State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio‐Sensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering National Supercomputer Centers in Changsha Hunan University Changsha Hunan 410082 China

i‐lab Nano‐X Vacuum Interconnected Workstation Suzhou Institute of Nano‐Tech and Nano‐Bionics Chinese Academy of Sciences Suzhou Jiangsu 215123 China

Department of Chemical Engineering Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada

State Key Laboratory of Catalysis‐Energy Power Battery and Systems Research Center Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Dalian 116023 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

References (48)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1038/s41467-022-29861-w10.1038/s41467-022-29861-w ↗
2. 10.31635/renewables.023.20230002310.31635/renewables.023.202300023 ↗
3. 10.1038/s41560-022-01092-910.1038/s41560-022-01092-9 ↗
4. 10.1038/s41467-020-14402-010.1038/s41467-020-14402-0 ↗
5. 10.1021/jacs.0c1241810.1021/jacs.0c12418 ↗
6. 10.1021/acscatal.2c0305510.1021/acscatal.2c03055 ↗
7. 10.1021/jacs.2c0093710.1021/jacs.2c00937 ↗
8. 10.1002/adsu.20180006410.1002/adsu.201800064 ↗
9. 10.1038/s41467-020-20336-410.1038/s41467-020-20336-4 ↗
10. 10.1002/adma.20211060710.1002/adma.202110607 ↗
11. 10.31635/renewables.023.20230003410.31635/renewables.023.202300034 ↗
12. 10.1038/s41586-020-2242-810.1038/s41586-020-2242-8 ↗
13. 10.1038/s41929-020-00547-010.1038/s41929-020-00547-0 ↗
14. 10.1038/s41467-021-23023-010.1038/s41467-021-23023-0 ↗
15. 10.1002/anie.20180387310.1002/anie.201803873 ↗
16. 10.1038/s41467-023-40412-910.1038/s41467-023-40412-9 ↗
17. 10.1038/s41929-023-01010-610.1038/s41929-023-01010-6 ↗
18. 10.26599/EMD.2023.937000810.26599/EMD.2023.9370008 ↗
19. 10.1038/s41560-022-01130-610.1038/s41560-022-01130-6 ↗
20. 10.1039/D1EE02884G10.1039/D1EE02884G ↗
21. 10.1021/jacsau.3c0017410.1021/jacsau.3c00174 ↗
22. 10.1002/anie.20200788510.1002/anie.202007885 ↗
23. 10.1086/29749510.1086/297495 ↗
24. 10.1021/jacs.9b1006110.1021/jacs.9b10061 ↗
25. 10.1002/anie.20230931910.1002/anie.202309319 ↗
26. 10.1038/s41586-020-2978-110.1038/s41586-020-2978-1 ↗
27. 10.1103/PhysRevE.79.06730110.1103/PhysRevE.79.067301 ↗
28. 10.1038/s41467-019-12418-910.1038/s41467-019-12418-9 ↗
29. 10.1038/290575a010.1038/290575a0 ↗
30. 10.1007/s10853-016-0417-310.1007/s10853-016-0417-3 ↗
31. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.25610210.1103/PhysRevLett.88.256102 ↗
32. 10.1021/ja01145a12610.1021/ja01145a126 ↗
33. 10.1002/anie.20231562110.1002/anie.202315621 ↗
34. 10.1021/jacsau.3c0047110.1021/jacsau.3c00471 ↗
35. 10.1038/s41467-023-40970-y10.1038/s41467-023-40970-y ↗
36. 10.1038/s41467-023-41097-w10.1038/s41467-023-41097-w ↗
37. 10.1021/ja406820f10.1021/ja406820f ↗
38. 10.1002/smll.20240059210.1002/smll.202400592 ↗
39. 10.1016/j.jechem.2023.08.03410.1016/j.jechem.2023.08.034 ↗
40. 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b0329810.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03298 ↗
41. 10.1002/anie.20230022610.1002/anie.202300226 ↗
42. 10.1002/anie.20200414910.1002/anie.202004149 ↗
43. 10.1021/acsenergylett.9b0114210.1021/acsenergylett.9b01142 ↗
44. 10.1002/anie.20211408010.1002/anie.202114080 ↗
45. 10.1038/s41560-024-01633-410.1038/s41560-024-01633-4 ↗
46. 10.1021/jacs.2c0104410.1021/jacs.2c01044 ↗
47. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2018.03.09010.1016/j.apcatb.2018.03.090 ↗
48. 10.1021/jacs.7b1046210.1021/jacs.7b10462 ↗