Enhancing CO2 electrolysis efficiency via in-situ exsolution in high-entropy perovskite electrodes

Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) have emerged as a promising technology for CO 2 electrolysis. However, the sluggish kinetics of CO 2 electrolysis impedes their widespread commercialization. Here, a novel heterostructure of in-situ exsolved metal/high-entropy perovskite, Ni@Sr 2 Fe 1.0 Ti 0.2 Cr 0.2 Mn 0.2 Mo 0.2 Ni 0.2 O 6-δ (Ni@SFTCMMN), has been designed to enhance the efficiency of CO 2 electrolysis. The Ni@SFTCMMN, with its high-entropy configuration and embedded exsolution morphology, ensures high structural stability during continuous CO 2 electrolysis. As an application, the Ni@SFTCMMN-based electrolysis cell demonstrates a remarkable current density of 1.91 A cm −2 at 1.5 V and 800 °C, maintaining consistent performance over 160 h. By integrating theoretical calculation with experimental investigations, we aim to establish the link between the electronic structure of perovskite oxides with varying elemental compositions and the mechanism of the CO 2 reduction reaction. The findings from this work provide crucial insights into the role of conformational entropy strategies in CO 2 electrolysis and suggest potential pathways for developing efficient and durable cathode of SOECs.