Ultrathin ZnIn2S4 nanosheet arrays activated by nitrogen-doped carbon for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction toward ethanol

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 611; p. 155696
• Main Authors: Cai, Fangfang, Hu, Xia, Gou, Faliang, Chen, Yuyuan, Xu, Yulu, Qi, Chenze, Ma, De-Kun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-02-2023
• Subjects: Bimetallic effect; electrocatalytic CO2 reduction; Ethanol production; N-doped carbon; Substrate effect; ZnIn2S4 nanosheet arrays; ZnIn2S4 nanosheet arrays; N-doped carbon; Bimetallic effect; Substrate effect; electrocatalytic CO2 reduction; Ethanol production
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.155696

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•ZnIn2S4 nanosheets arrays /NDCC were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route.•ZnIn2S4/NDCC could electrocatalytically reduce CO2 into ethanol.•NDCC substrate could enhance the activity of the CO2 reduction reaction.•NDCC substrate and bimetallic effect collectively decided ethanol selectivity.
Ternary ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) is a kind of potential electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the reported reduction products are usual C1 species. Considering that N doped carbon can increase adsorption of CO2 molecules, facilitate electron transfer, and activate active sites, here ultrathin ZIS nanosheet arrays (ZIS NSAs) grown on N doped carbon cloth (NDCC) were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized ZIS NSAs/NDCC enabled electrocatalytic CO2RR toward ethanol with the highest 42 % faradaic efficiency (FE) at an applied potential of − 0.7 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in CO2-saturated 0.5 M KHCO3 aqueous solution. This is first report on ZIS-based electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic CO2RR toward ethanol production. The experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that NDCC could enhance the CO2RR activity and promote CO-CO coupling process. Our work not only provides a new electrocatalyst for CO2RR to ethanol but also stresses the influence of N doped carbon substrate and bimetallic effect on electrocatalytic CO2RR.