Gold-like activity copper-like selectivity of heteroatomic transition metal carbides for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction

An overarching challenge of the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCO₂RR) is finding an earth-abundant, highly active catalyst that selectively produces hydrocarbons at relatively low overpotentials. Here, we report the eCO₂RR performance of two-dimensional transition metal carbide class of materials. Our results indicate a maximum methane (CH₄) current density of −421.63 mA/cm² and a CH₄ faradic efficiency of 82.7% ± 2% for di-tungsten carbide (W₂C) nanoflakes in a hybrid electrolyte of 3 M potassium hydroxide and 2 M choline-chloride. Powered by a triple junction photovoltaic cell, we demonstrate a flow electrolyzer that uses humidified CO₂ to produce CH₄ in a 700-h process under one sun illumination with a CO₂RR energy efficiency of about 62.3% and a solar-to-fuel efficiency of 20.7%. Density functional theory calculations reveal that dissociation of water, chemisorption of CO₂ and cleavage of the C-O bond—the most energy consuming elementary steps in other catalysts such as copper—become nearly spontaneous at the W₂C surface. This results in instantaneous formation of adsorbed CO—an important reaction intermediate—and an unlimited source of protons near the tungsten surface sites that are the main reasons for the observed superior activity, selectivity, and small potential.