Mixed Copper States in Anodized Cu Electrocatalyst for Stable and Selective Ethylene Production from CO 2 Reduction

Oxygen–Cu (O–Cu) combination catalysts have recently achieved highly improved selectivity for ethylene production from the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). In this study, we developed anodized copper (AN-Cu) Cu(OH) 2 catalysts by a simple electrochemical synthesis method and achieved ∼40% Faradaic efficiency for ethylene production, and high stability over 40 h. Notably, the initial reduction conditions applied to AN-Cu were critical to achieving selective and stable ethylene production activity from the CO 2 RR, as the initial reduction condition affects the structures and chemical states, crucial for highly selective and stable ethylene production over methane. A highly negative reduction potential produced a catalyst maintaining long-term stability for the selective production of ethylene over methane, and a small amount of Cu(OH) 2 was still observed on the catalyst…