Bi-Modified Zn Catalyst for Efficient CO2 Electrochemical Reduction to Formate

Developing efficient and low-cost catalysts is the key part for electrochemical reduction of CO2, and the bimetallic approach is a cost-effective strategy to find promising electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Herein, a low-cost Bi-modified Zn catalyst with nanoparticle morphologies was developed for electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. The catalyst was prepared through a surface modification with a simple method. A maximum formate Faradaic efficiency of 94% was achieved at −0.8 V vs RHE. The high density of active sites offered by the metal–metal bifunctional interfaces and grain boundaries is the main factor determining the excellent performance of the Zn-Bi bimetallic catalyst.