Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials for electrocatalysis; however, lack of electrical conductivity in the majority of existing MOFs limits their effective utilization in the field. Herein, an excellent catalytic activity of a 2D copper (Cu)‐based conductive MOF, copper tetrahydroxyquinone (CuTHQ), is reported for aqueous CO2reduction reaction (CO2RR) at low overpotentials. It is revealed that CuTHQ nanoflakes (NFs) with an average lateral size of 140 nm exhibit a negligible overpotential of 16 mV for the activation of this reaction, a high current density of ≈173 mA cm−2at −0.45 V versus RHE, an average Faradaic efficiency (F.E.) of ≈91% toward CO production, and a remarkable turnover frequency as high as ≈20.82 s−1. In the low overpotential range, the obtained CO formation current density is more than 35 and 25 times higher compared to state‐of‐the‐art MOF and MOF‐derived catalysts, respectively. The operando Cu K‐edge X‐ray absorption near edge spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal the existence of reduced Cu (Cu+) during CO2RR which reversibly returns to Cu2+after the reaction. The outstanding CO2catalytic functionality of conductive MOFs (c‐MOFs) can open a way toward high‐energy‐density electrochemical systems.
- Award ID(s):
- 1727553
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10067167
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Materials Chemistry A
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2050-7488
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 932 to 940
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1039/C7TA09192C
