Plastron effect enhanced electrochemical CO 2 reduction activity over hydrophobic three-dimensional nanoporous silver.

The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 on catalyst surfaces is hindered by the inefficient mass transfer of CO 2 in aqueous solutions. In this study, we employed an electrochemical reduction approach to fabricate a hydrophobic three-dimensional nanoporous silver catalyst with a plastron effect, aiming to enhance the CO 2 diffusion. The resulting catalyst exhibited an exceptional performance with the FE CO peaking at 95% at -0.65 V ( vs. RHE) and demonstrated remarkable stability during continuous electrolysis for 48 hours. Control experiments, together with Tafel analysis, EIS measurements, and contact angle results, confirmed that the notable enhancement of performance was attributed to the hydrophobic porous structure that facilitated efficient storage and rapid mass transfer of low-solubility CO 2 gas reactants.