Highly efficient electroconversion of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons by cathodized copper-organic frameworks

Highly selective conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into valuable hydrocarbons is promising yet challenging in developing effective electrocatalysts. Herein, Cu II /adeninato/carboxylato metal-biomolecule frameworks (Cu II /ade-MOFs) are employed for efficient CO 2 electro-conversion towards hydrocarbon generation. The cathodized Cu II /ade-MOF nanosheets demonstrate excellent catalytic performance for CO 2 conversion into valuable hydrocarbons with a total hydrocarbon faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 73%. Ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) is produced with a maximum FE of 45% and a current density of 8.5 mA cm −2 at −1.4 V vs. RHE, while methane (CH 4 ) is produced with a FE of 50% and current density of ∼15 mA cm −2 at −1.6 V vs. RHE. These investigations reveal that the reconstruction of cathodized Cu II /ade-MOFs and the formed Cu nanoparticles functionalized by nitrogen-containing ligands contribute to the excellent CO 2 conversion performance. Furthermore, this work would provide valuable insights and opportunities for the rational design of Cu-based MOF catalysts for highly efficient conversion of CO 2 towards hydrocarbon generation. Cathodized Cu-MOFs (Cu-ade MOFs) exhibit structural evolution and contribute to efficient electrochemical CO 2 reduction towards hydrocarbon generation.