(Invited) Optimizing Electrocatalyst Selectivity for CO2 Reduction over H2 Evolution

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to fuels or chemicals is an attractive alternative to fossil- or biomass-based feedstocks. However, since the reduction typically requires protons in the reaction pathway, the evolution of H₂ is a common side reaction; in practice H₂ often dominates the observed products. In this talk, I will discuss ways in which our group is understanding and optimizing electrocatalysts for selectivity between these reactions. We will discuss ways in which we identified and optimized the expression of active edge sites in nanostructured Au catalysts for CO evolution, providing extremely high selectivities at low overpotentials. Also discussed will be the fundamental adsorbate-adsorbate interactions that drive reactivity and selectivity across various catalyst surfaces, including on Cu, on Mo, and on carbides. Strategies to overcome these limitations and provide low-overpotential CO₂ reduction will be discussed.