Ligand-engineering Cu-based catalysts to accelerate the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 .

Two typical Cu-based complex catalysts with piperazine (PR) and p -phenylenediamine (pPDA) ligands were designed to elucidate whether the ligands can tailor the reduction behavior of the Cu species and thus modulate their electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (eCO 2 RR) activity. Specifically, Cu-PR underwent a significant in situ transformation into Cu nanoparticles enriched with a Cu δ + /Cu 0 interface for high eCO 2 RR activity, compared to Cu-pPDA. This finding reveals the importance of ligand engineering in modulating the eCO 2 RR performance of Cu-based complexes.