A series of amorphous hollow ZnSnO_x (ZSO) materials were synthesized for efficient carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) electrocatalysts. ZnSnO_x hollow spheres (ZSO HSs) achieve a high Faradaic efficiency of HCOOH up to 92.7 % at best due to strong adsorption of CO₂ and rapid intermediate configuration transformation. This work demonstrates the practical application of ZSO for CO₂RR and provides a new insight to create efficient CO₂RR electrocatalysts.

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) adsorption and electron transport play an important role in CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Herein, we have demonstrated a new class of diverse hollow ZnSnO_x (ZSO) through the amorphization of hydroxides to enhance CO₂ adsorption and accelerate electron transport. The amorphization is occurred by calcination process, as indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectra. In particular, the ZnSnO_x hollow spheres (ZSO HSs) achieve a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of HCOOH up to 92.7 % at best, outperforming the commercial ZSO (Comm. ZSO, 85.7 %). ZSO HSs also exhibit durable stability with negligible activity decay after 10 h of successive electrolysis. In-situ attenuated total reflectance infrared absorption spectroscopy further reveals strong adsorption of CO₂ and rapid intermediate configuration transformation in amorphous ZSO HSs. This work demonstrates the practical application of ZSO for CO₂RR and provides a new insight to create efficient CO₂RR electrocatalysts.