物理化学学报 >> 2024, Vol. 40 >> Issue (8): 2308027.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB202308027

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胺功能化的铜催化剂:氢键介导的电化学CO2还原为C2产物以及优越的可充电Zn-CO2电池性能

项东1, 李坤振1, 苗康华1, 龙冉2, 熊宇杰2,*(), 康雄武1,*()   

  1. 1 华南理工大学新能源研究所, 环境与能源学院, 广州 510006
    2 中国科学技术大学合肥微尺度物质科学国家研究中心, 化学与材料科学学院, 合肥 230026
  • 收稿日期:2023-08-15 修回日期:2023-09-20 录用日期:2023-09-28 发布日期:2023-10-09
  • 通讯作者: esxkang@scut.edu.cn (康雄武)Email: yjxiong@ustc.edu.cn (熊宇杰)
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(U2032151); 国家自然科学基金(21725102); 国家自然科学基金(91961106)

Amine-Functionalized Copper Catalysts: Hydrogen Bonding Mediated Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to C2 Products and Superior Rechargeable Zn-CO2 Battery Performance

Dong Xiang1, Kunzhen Li1, Kanghua Miao1, Ran Long2, Yujie Xiong2,*(), Xiongwu Kang1,*()   

  1. 1 New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
    2 Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • Received:2023-08-15 Revised:2023-09-20 Accepted:2023-09-28 Published:2023-10-09
  • Contact: esxkang@scut.edu.cn (Xiongwu Kang)Email: yjxiong@ustc.edu.cn (Yujie Xiong)
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U2032151); the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21725102); the National Natural Science Foundation of China(91961106)

摘要:

有机分子功能化是一种有前景的策略,用于调控电化学CO2还原反应(eCO2RR)的C2+产物选择性和活性。然而,我们对于电化学CO2还原调控机制的分子水平理解仍然不够清晰。在本文中,我们成功制备了铜纳米颗粒,并使用一系列胺类衍生物(如十六胺(HAD)、N-甲基十六胺(N-MHDA)、十六烷基二甲胺(HDDMA)和十六酰胺(PMM))对其进行功能化,以系统地研究胺表面活性剂分子结构对eCO2RR选择性和活性的影响。结果表明,HDA的功能化可以将C2产物和C2H4的法拉第效率(FE)提高至73.5%和46.4%,并且在−0.9 Ⅴ vs. RHE (可逆氢电极)电位下,C2产物的分电流密度为131.4 mA·cm−2。理论研究发现,HDA通过与CO2和eCO2RR中间体之间的氢键相互作用,富集了*CO2、*CO和其他反应中间体,降低了CO―CHO耦合反应的动力学能垒,从而促进了eCO2RR向C2产物的转化。当胺基的H原子被甲基取代后,氢键相互作用减弱,竞争的析氢反应加剧。PMM通过Cu―O键与Cu表面发生键合,而不是通过Cu―N键,导致Cu-PMM更倾向于产乙醇。原位拉曼光谱显示,在Cu-HDA表面,CO主要吸附在Cu的顶位吸附位点上,与在Cu表面上的桥式吸附不同,这可能是因为前者表面对CO的富集引发了CO的吸附构型变化。HDA功能化还提高了Cu催化剂的表面pH。基于Cu-HDA组装的可充电Zn-CO2电池在放电电流密度为16 mA∙cm–2时,最大功率密度为6.48 mW∙cm−2,并具有长达60 h的良好充放电稳定性。本研究的重点在于通过在分子水平上调节Cu基材料的CO2RR活性和选择性,促进CO2-C2的转化,这可能为提高C2产物的产率提供新的见解。

关键词: 二氧化碳还原, CO―CHO耦合, 有机分子功能化, 原位拉曼, C2产物, Zn-CO2电池

Abstract:

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCO2RR) can convert CO2 into valuable chemicals, achieving a carbon cycle. Copper-based catalysts have demonstrated a unique ability to produce C2+ products in eCO2RR, which is often limited by the scaling relationship of the reaction intermediates, complex reaction mechanism and competitive H2 evolution. Organic functionalization is a promising strategy for regulating the activity and selectivity of eCO2RR toward C2+ products. However, the mechanism behind such regulation of eCO2RR, especially at the molecular level, remains elusive. In this study, Cu nanoparticles were prepared and functionalized with a set of amine derivatives, including hexadecylamine (HDA), N-methylhexadecylamine (N-MHDA), hexadecyldimethylamine (HDDMA), and palmitamide (PMM). The impact of the molecular structure of the amine surfactants on the selectivity and activity toward eCO2RR was systematically explored through both experiments and theoretical calculations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations revealed that HDA functionalization of the Cu catalyst surface resulted in negative charge transfer from amine molecules to Cu. ECO2RR was examined in a 1.0 mol∙L−1 KOH aqueous electrolyte. HDA functionalization of the Cu catalyst achieved the highest Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 73.5% for C2 products and 46.4% for C2H4, respectively. It also provided the highest C2 partial current density of 131.4 mA∙cm−2 at −0.9 Ⅴ vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) among these amine derivatives functionalized Cu catalysts. In contrast, the highest FE and partial current density for C2 products achieved with pristine Cu catalysts were only 27.0% and 50.5 mA·cm−2, respectively. Theoretical studies demonstrated that hydrogen bonding interactions of HDA with CO2 and eCO2RR intermediates enriched CO2, CO, and other intermediates, lowered the kinetic energy barrier of CO―CHO coupling and thereby promoted eCO2RR to C2 products. Replacing the H atoms of the amine group with methyl groups in N-MHDA and HDDMA resulted in dominant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in eCO2RR. PMM bonding with the Cu surface through a Cu―O bond, instead of Cu―N bonding as in HDA, N-MHDA and HDDMA, resulted in preferred ethanol production. In situ Raman spectroscopy indicated CO adsorption on Cu at atop sites for HDA-capped Cu catalysts, instead of bridge site CO adsorption on clean Cu surfaces, possibly due to the enriched CO in the former case. HDA also increased the local pH relative to pristine Cu catalysts. The Cu-HDA-based rechargeable Zn-CO2 battery exhibited a superior maximum power density of 6.48 mW∙cm–2 at a discharge current density of 16 mA∙cm–2 and remarkable rechargeable durability for 60 h, outperforming most of the reported catalysts in the literature. This work enhances CO2-C2 conversion by tuning the eCO2RR activity and selectivity of Cu-based materials, unravels the reaction mechanism at the molecular level, and provides new insights for promoting C2 products in eCO2RR through surface functionalization with organic molecules.

Key words: CO2 reduction, CO―CHO coupling, Organic functionalization, In situ Raman, C2 product, Zn-CO2 battery