Robust Electroreduction of CO₂ at a Poly(4‐vinylpyridine)–Copper Electrode

Abstract

Abstract The development of efficient and robust catalysts based on earth‐abundant and nontoxic materials is critical for the viability of the electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2 into useful chemicals. Herein, we report a new class of electrocatalysts with incorporated mechanisms of their stabilization. A Cu electrode coated with a poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) film synthesizes formate at a faradaic efficiency of 40 % at an overpotential of −0.67 V, and its catalytic activity does not degrade after 30 h of operation. We attribute the outstanding catalytic properties of the new hybrid material to the formation of Cu–polymer complexes, as well as to new intrinsic mechanisms of the electrode stabilization offered by the N ‐heteroaromatic polymer. This is the first report of CO 2 electroreduction with copper– N ‐heteroaromatic ligand complexes. More generally, our study offers a new simple strategy to design and prepare robust CO 2 reduction electrocatalysts based on earth‐abundant metals.