Atomically Dispersed Indium-Copper Dual-Metal Active Sites Promoting C-C Coupling for CO2 Photoreduction to Ethanol.

TLDR: In this paper , a dual-metal photocatalyst consisted of atomically dispersed Indium-Copper anchored on polymeric carbon nitride (InCu/PCN), on which the photoreduction of CO 2 delivered an excellent ethanol production rate of 28.5 μmol·g −1 ·h -1 with a high selectivity of 92%.

Abstract: Photoreduction of CO 2 to C 2+ solar fuel is a promising carbon-neutral technology for renewable energy. This strategy is challenged by its low productivity due to low efficiency in multielectron utilization and slow C-C coupling kinetics. This work reports a dual-metal photocatalyst consisted of atomically dispersed Indium-Copper anchored on polymeric carbon nitride (InCu/PCN), on which the photoreduction of CO 2 delivered an excellent ethanol production rate of 28.5 μmol·g -1 ·h -1 with a high selectivity of 92%. Coupled experimental investigation with DFT calculation, this study unveils the following mechanisms underpinning the high performance of this catalyst. Essentially, In-Cu interaction enhances the charge separation by accelerating charge transfer from PCN to metal sites. In also transfers electrons to neighboring Cu via Cu-N-In bridges, increasing the electron density of Cu active sites. Furthermore, In-Cu dual-metal sites promote the adsorption of *CO intermediates and lower the energy barrier of C-C coupling.