Promotional effects of In(PO 3 ) 3 on the high catalytic activity of CuO-In(PO 3 ) 3 /C for the CO 2 reduction reaction.

The construction of Cu-In bi-component catalysts is an effective strategy to enhance the electrocatalytic properties towards the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). However, realizing the co-promotion of In and heteroatom P on the electrocatalytic performance is still a challenge due to the poor selectivity of metal phosphides. Herein, a novel bi-component catalyst (CuO-In(PO 3 ) 3 /C) was successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot reaction to realize the integration of Cu, In, and P species for the enhancement of electrocatalysis. In particular, the as-obtained nanorod-like Cu-In(PO 3 ) 3 /C exhibits superior electrocatalysis towards the CO 2 RR, with the highest Faraday efficiency of CO (FE CO ) of 88.5% at -0.586 V. Furthermore, Cu-In(PO 3 ) 3 /C shows better activity, selectivity, and stability in the CO 2 RR; in particular, the total current density can reach 178.09 mA cm -2 at -0.886 V in 2.0 M KOH solution when a flow cell is employed. This work provides a reliable method for simplifying the synthesis of novel Cu-based catalysts and exploits the application of heteroatom P in the field of efficient CO 2 RR.