Highly efficient electroconversion of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons by cathodized copper–organic frameworks

Highly selective conversion of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) into valuable hydrocarbons is promising yet challenging in developing effective electrocatalysts. Herein, Cu(II)/adeninato/carboxylato metal–biomolecule frameworks (Cu(II)/ade-MOFs) are employed for efficient CO(2) electro-conversion towards hydrocarbon generation. The cathodized Cu(II)/ade-MOF nanosheets demonstrate excellent catalytic performance for CO(2) conversion into valuable hydrocarbons with a total hydrocarbon faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 73%. Ethylene (C(2)H(4)) is produced with a maximum FE of 45% and a current density of 8.5 mA cm(–2) at –1.4 V vs. RHE, while methane (CH(4)) is produced with a FE of 50% and current density of ∼15 mA cm(–2) at –1.6 V vs. RHE. These investigations reveal that the reconstruction of cathodized Cu(II)/ade-MOFs and the formed Cu nanoparticles functionalized by nitrogen-containing ligands contribute to the excellent CO(2) conversion performance. Furthermore, this work would provide valuable insights and opportunities for the rational design of Cu-based MOF catalysts for highly efficient conversion of CO(2) towards hydrocarbon generation.