Defects and Conductive Nitrogen-Carbon Framework Regulated ZnInOx Nanosheets for Boosting CO2 Electrocatalytic Reduction

Abstract Reducing the dimension and creating defects are effective approaches to increase the active sites of catalysts. Herein, the defective ZnInOx/NCF catalyst was successfully prepared under the inspiration of 3D porous structure of melamine sponge. The functionalized ZnInOx/NCF features larger electrochemical active surface area, higher carbon dioxide adsorption capacity and faster charge transfer rate, which is conducive to electrochemical reduction CO2 to HCOO-. ZnInOx/NCF exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 90.5% for HCOO- production at a moderate overpotential of 0.9 V with a good stability. The study of catalysts structure and reaction mechanisms demonstrate that the superior activity is attributed to the synergistic effect among the MS-derived NCF conductive matrix and the reduced dimensionality and abundant defects of ZnInOx.