Achieving efficient electroreduction CO2 to CO in a wide potential range over pitch-derived ordered mesoporous carbon with engineered Ni-N sites

Abstract Electrochemical CO2 reduction holds great promise for the conversion of CO2 to value-added chemical products. Nevertheless, it is still a tremendous challenge to develop low cost and high selectivity non-precious metal electrocatalysts. Herein, we develop a facile route to fabricate nickel and nitrogen co-doped pitch-based ordered mesoporous carbon, which exhibits a high Faradaic efficiency of CO over 90 % in a wide potential range from -0.75 to -1.20 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Such excellent catalytic activity is mainly attributed to the engineered Ni-N active sites and unique ordered mesoporous structure, which brings synergetic effects of enhance CO2 activation, fast mass transfer and highly exposed active sites.