Development of copper sulfide-based catalysts for controlled syngas production

Nowadays, the world is facing severe energy and environmental crisis. Electrocatalysis is one of the most promising ways to produce green energy and mitigate warm house gases. Thus, finding versatile and high-performance electrocatalysts is crucial for practical applications. Copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S) has emerged as a promising electrocatalyst owing to its exceptional catalytic activity and stability, facilitating efficient energy conversion processes. Its unique electronic structure and surface reactivity contribute to enhanced electrochemical performance, positioning Cu2S as a favorable candidate for diverse electrocatalytic applications. In this case, this work is systematically conducted on Cu2S-based electrocatalysts fabricated a facile solution process. In the oxygen evaluation reaction (OER) measurement, Cu nanoparticles vulcanization with different durations is firstly investigated, in which the 4 min vulcanized sample (Cu2S/CC) exhibits the lowest onset potential (1.682V), lowest overpotential (452mV at 10 mA/cm2), lowest Tafel slope (180mv/dec), and the best stability performance compared to the other control groups. Afterwards, the performances of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR) and nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) on Cu2S are explored. The Cu2S/CC 4min sample exhibited the highest formate selectivity (9.7%) and current density (2.4 mA/cm2) at −1.2 V. For NO3RR, the Cu2S/CC 4 min sample also exhibited the highest ammonia selectivity (92%) and the highest ammonia current density (11.50 mA/cm2) at an applied voltage of -0.42V. Since only a few studies on Cu2S as a catalyst in CO2RR and NO3RR have been reported, this project successfully developed a novel Cu2S based electrocatalysts which may have potential applications in various electrocatalytic processes