In Situ Self-Assembled Active and Stable Ir@MnO x /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 Cr 0.9 Ir 0.1 O 3-δ Interfaces for CO 2 Electrolysis.

Solid oxide electrolysis cells are prospective approaches for CO 2 utilization but face significant challenges due to the sluggish reaction kinetics and poor stability of the fuel electrodes. Herein, we strategically addressed the long-standing trade-off phenomenon between enhanced exsolution and improved structural stability via topotactic ion exchange. The surface dynamic reconstruction of the MnO x /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 Cr 0.9 Ir 0.1 O 3-δ (LSCIr) catalyst was visualized at the atomic scale. Compared with the Ir@LSCIr interface, the in situ self-assembled Ir@MnO x /LSCIr interface exhibited greater CO 2 activation and easily removable carbonate intermediates, thus reached a 42 % improvement in CO 2 electrolysis performance at 1.6 V. Furthermore, an improved CO 2 electrolysis stability was achieved due to the uniformly wrapped MnO x shell of the Ir@MnO x /LSCIr cathode. Our approach enables a detailed understanding of the dynamic microstructure evolution at active interfaces and provides a roadmap for the rational design and evaluation of efficient metal/oxide catalysts for CO 2 electrolysis.