The construction of non-noble metal electrodes for the catalytic reduction of CO has drawn much attention in recent years. Herein, a facile CoCu@C composite catalyst was synthesized by simply carbonizing CoCu-MOFs, a bimetal MOFs fabricated by integrating Cu ions into the synthesis of ZIF-67. Co-Cu alloy nanoparticles were closely embedded in porous carbon skeleton. Notably, the optimal CoCu@C sample exhibited a total catalytic current of 29.8 mA·cm at −0.7 V vs RHE, which was 2.56 times of the Co@C catalyst derived from original ZIF-67. Besides, the CoCu@C sample achieved targeted CO:H ratios in the CO reduction reactions, covering approximately 1:1.7–1:4, meeting well with industrial needs. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations unveiled an electron migration from Co to Cu within the alloy, indicating the promoted transfer of electrons. Co atoms in Co-Cu alloy was found as the predominant active sites for the reduction of CO. The study provided a economical CO reduction electrocatalyst with cheap feedstock, low operating voltage and specific ratio of syngas. Additionally, this work significantly advances our understanding of Co-Cu alloy electrocatalysts, providing crucial insights for the ongoing evolution of electrocatalyst research in material preparation and theoretical calculations.

中文翻译：

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MOF 衍生的 Co-Cu 亚稳态合金纳米粒子电催化还原 CO2


近年来，用于催化还原CO的非贵金属电极的构建引起了广泛关注。在此，通过简单碳化CoCu-MOFs，合成了一种简便的CoCu@C复合催化剂，CoCu-MOFs是一种通过将Cu离子整合到ZIF-67合成中而制备的双金属MOFs。 Co-Cu合金纳米颗粒紧密嵌入多孔碳骨架中。值得注意的是，最佳CoCu@C样品在-0.7V vs RHE下表现出29.8mA·cm的总催化电流，是原始ZIF-67衍生的Co@C催化剂的2.56倍。此外，CoCu@C样品在CO还原反应中实现了目标CO:H比，覆盖约1:1.7–1:4，很好地满足了工业需求。密度泛函理论 (DFT) 计算揭示了合金内电子从 Co 迁移到 Cu，表明电子转移得到促进。 Co-Cu合金中的Co原子是还原CO的主要活性位点。该研究提供了一种经济的CO还原电催化剂，其原料廉价、工作电压低、合成气特定比例。此外，这项工作显着增进了我们对钴铜合金电催化剂的理解，为材料制备和理论计算方面电催化剂研究的不断发展提供了重要的见解。