Metal-Organic Framework Coating Enhances the Performance of Cu2O in Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction

Xi Deng; Rui Li; Sikai Wu; Li Wang; Jiahua Hu; Jun Ma; Wenbin Jiang; Ning Zhang; Xusheng Zheng; Chao Gao; Linjun Wang; Qun Zhang; Junfa Zhu; Yujie Xiong

doi:10.1021/jacs.9b06239

Metal-Organic Framework Coating Enhances the Performance of Cu₂O in Photoelectrochemical CO₂ Reduction

J Am Chem Soc. 2019 Jul 10;141(27):10924-10929. doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b06239. Epub 2019 Jun 25.

Authors

Xi Deng¹, Rui Li^{1

2}, Sikai Wu^{1

3}, Li Wang¹, Jiahua Hu¹, Jun Ma¹, Wenbin Jiang¹, Ning Zhang¹, Xusheng Zheng¹, Chao Gao¹, Linjun Wang¹, Qun Zhang¹, Junfa Zhu¹, Yujie Xiong¹

Affiliations

¹ Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, and National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China.
² School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 639798 , Singapore.
³ Department of Chemistry , Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States.

PMID: 31200598
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06239

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) reduction of CO₂ into chemical fuels and chemical building blocks is a promising strategy for addressing the energy and environmental challenges, which relies on the development of p-type photocathodes. Cu₂O is such a p-type semiconductor for photocathodes but commonly suffers from detrimental photocorrosion and chemical changes. In this communication, we develop a facile procedure for coating a metal-organic framework (MOF) on the surface of a Cu₂O photocathode, which can both prevent photocorrosion and offer active sites for CO₂ reduction. As evidenced by ultrafast spectroscopy, the formed interface can effectively promote charge separation and transfer. As a result, both the activity and durability of Cu₂O are dramatically enhanced for PEC CO₂ reduction. This work provides fresh insights into the design of advanced hybrid photoelectrodes and highlights the important role of interfacial charge dynamics in PEC CO₂ conversion.