Native frustrated Lewis pairs on core-shell In@InO x H y enhances CO 2 -to-formate conversion.

Strategies to efficiently activate CO 2 by strongly inhibiting the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction process are highly desired for practical applications of the electrochemical CO 2 reduction technique. Here, we assembled a core-shell In@InO x H y architecture on carbon black by one-step reduction of NaBH 4 as a CO 2 -to-formate catalyst with high selectivity. The stable CO 2 -to-formate reaction originates from the creation of steritic frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) on the InO x H y shell with In-O Vs (O Vs , oxygen vacancies) Lewis acid, and In-OH Lewis base. During CO 2 reduction, the electrochemically stable FLPs are capable of first capturing and stabilizing protons to protonate FLPs to In-H Lewis acid and In-OH 2 Lewis base due to its strong steric electrostatic field; then, CO 2 is captured and activated by the protonated FLPs to selectively produce formate. Our results demonstrated that FLPs can be created on the surface of oxyphilic single-metal catalysts efficient in accelerating CO 2 reduction with high selectivity.