A sneak peek at the atomic secrets of copper-catalysed electroreduction of carbon dioxide

Real-time observations of what happens at the interface where a copper catalyst reduces carbon dioxide have been conducted by a team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory . Atomic-scale understanding of copper catalysts should help produce more reliable systems that can efficiently produce fuels and chemical feedstocks from this waste product.

Copper-based catalysts have been used to drive the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons since their creation in the 1980s. Their ability to form the carbon–carbon bonds which form the backbone for many high-value chemicals and fuels has made them a popular choice for carbon dioxide electroreduction reactions. However, copper catalysts are not yet suitable for industrial-scale applications, due to several limitations which include a rapid decline in rate of catalysis rates within hours, high overpotentials, and poor selectivity. Additionally, the multi-component nature of carbon dioxide reduction and the lack of selectivity of copper catalysts often lead to the production of several unwanted byproducts. Overcoming these issues necessitates a closer look at how the catalyst works at an atomic level.