Construction of CuNiAl-LDHs electrocatalyst with rich-Cu+ and —OH for highly selective reduction of CO2 to methanol

In this work, a high-performance CuNiAl-LDHs catalyst was innovatively synthesized for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 RR) of methanol (CH 3 OH) through the modulated synthesis of Cu-based layered double hydroxide (LDHs). It was found that the optimal CuNiAl-LDHs has superior CH 3 OH selectivity compared to CuAl-LDHs and CuMgAl-LDHs, with the Faraday efficiency (FE) of 76.4% for CH 3 OH generation at −1.2 V. And their FE and current density (4.8 mA·cm −2 ) remained stable during up to 24 h of electrolysis. Meanwhile, this study confirms the significant performance advantages of CuNiAl-LDHs over their derived composite oxides. Series characterization further proves that the excellent catalytic performance of CuNiAl-LDHs is importantly associated with their richness in Cu + and hydroxyl group (—OH). The research expands the application fields of LDHs compounds. Meanwhile, the series of discoveries provide a new insight for the preparation of CH 3 OH by constructing CO 2 RR.