Nanoporous Copper-Silver Alloys by Additive-Controlled Electrodeposition for the Selective Electroreduction of CO to Ethylene and Ethanol

Electrodeposition of CuAg alloy films from plating baths containing 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) as an inhibitor yields high surface area catalysts for the active and selective electroreduction of CO to multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates. EXAFS shows the co-deposited alloy film to be homogeneously mixed. The alloy film containing 6% Ag exhibits the best CO electroreduction performance, with the Faradaic efficiency for CH and CHOH production reaching nearly 60 and 25%, respectively, at a cathode potential of just -0.7 V vs RHE and a total current density of ∼ - 300 mA/cm. Such high levels of selectivity at high activity and low applied potential are the highest reported to date. In situ Raman and electroanalysis studies suggest the origin of the high selectivity toward C products to be a combined effect of the enhanced stabilization of the CuO overlayer and the optimal availability of the CO intermediate due to the Ag incorporated in the alloy.