Sn doping in In2O3-x nanoparticle achieving its synergy with oxygen vacancy towards high-efficiency electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and upcycling of spent liquid crystal display panels

Converting electronic waste into high-value catalytic materials is an effective strategy for reducing dependence on rare resources and enhancing sustainability. Herein, we synthesize fine-sized Sn-doped In 2 O 3-x particles with oxygen vacancies (Vo) using leachate from spent liquid crystal display panels (LCDPs) for efficient electrochemical CO 2 reduction (eCO 2 RR). Specifically, In 3+ and Sn 4+ ions from LCDPs leachate are coordinated with dodecylamine’s –NH 2 and transferred to the organic phase, followed by oleic acid modification to form the compounds (M−DDA−OA). Sn-doped Vo-rich In 2 O 3-x derived from LCDPs (rVo/LCDPs) can be synthesized by converting M−DDA−OA via a wet-chemistry process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results reveal that Sn doping and Vo in In 2 O 3-x synergistically enhance CO 2 adsorption and activation, facilitating the formation of *OCHO intermediates and achieving a maximum formate Faradaic efficiency (FE formate ) of 94.6 % for rVo/LCDPs at − 1.07 V vs RHE. This study highlights the potential for low-cost, high-performance In-based catalysts from spent LCDPs.