An efficient 3D ordered mesoporous Cu sphere array electrocatalyst for carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction

摘要

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a promising solution for sustainable energy research and carbon emissions.However,this solution has been challenged by the lack of active and selective catalysts.Here,we report a two-step synthesis of 3D ordered mesoporous Cu sphere arrays,which is fabricated by a dual template method using a poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA) inverse opal and the nonionic surfactant Brij 58 to template the mesostructure within the regular voids of a colloidal crystal.Therefo re,the well-ordered 3D interconnected bi-continuous mesopore s structure has advantages of abundant exposed catalytically active sites,efficient mass transport,and high electrical conductivity,which result in excellent electrocatalytic CO2 RR perfo rmance.The prepared 3D ordered mesoporous Cu sphere array(3 D-OMCuSA) exhibits a low onset potential of-0.4 V at a 1 mA cm^-2 electrode current density,a low Tafel slope of 109.6 mV per decade and a long-term durability in 0.1 M potassium bicarbonate.These distinct features of 3 D-OMCuSA render it a promising method for the further develo p ment of advanced electrocatalytic materials for CO2 reduction.