Surface and structure engineering of metal catalysts for electrochemical $CO_2$ reduction in aqueous solution

Abstract

The upsurge of $CO_2$ concentration in the atmosphere which is one of the major reason for global warming and abrupt climate changes is one of the urgent worldwide issues. Among the various methods for decreasing $CO_2$ level, the electrochemical $CO_2$ reduction reaction (e$CO_2$RR) receive attention in terms of its sustainability converting waste $CO_2$ into value-added carbonaceous products which can be used for raw materials in industrial fields. For e$CO_2$RR, metal catalysts are usually studied to solve high overpotential, low product selectivity, short catalytic durability and low catalytic activity that come from the catalytic characteristics and reaction circumstances. In this dissertation, we solve the problems about overpotential, selectivity and activity by engineering surface and structure of metal catalysts and look into the reason for the changed e$CO_2$RR properties.