In-situ/operando study of Cu-based nanocatalysts for CO2 electroreduction using electrochemical liquid cell TEM

作者：Jiawei Wan, Qiubo Zhang, Ershuai Liu, Yi Chen, Jiana Zheng, Amy Ren, Walter S. Drisdell, Haimei Zheng · 发表于：Frontiers in Chemistry · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fchem.2025.1525245 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts、Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion、Electrochemical Analysis and Applications

The structure of a nanocatalyst during electrocatalytic reactions often deviates from its pristine structure due to intrinsic properties, or physical and chemical adsorption at the catalytic surfaces. Taking Cu-based catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction reactions (CO 2 RR) as an example, they often experience segregation, leaching, and alloying during reactions. With the recent breakthrough development of high-resolution polymer electrochemical liquid cells, in-situ electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (EC-TEM) alongside other advanced microscopy techniques, has become a powerful platform for revealing electrocatalysts restructuring at the atomic level. Considering the complex reactions involving electrified solid-liquid interfaces and catalyst structural evolution with intermediates, systematic studies with multimodal approaches are crucial. In this article, we demonstrate a research protocol for the study of electrocatalysts structural evolution during reactions using the in-situ EC-TEM platform. Using Cu and CuAg nanowire catalysts for CO 2 RR as model systems, we describe the experimental procedures and findings. We highlight the platform’s crucial role in elucidating atomic-scale pathways of nanocatalyst restructuring and identifying catalytic active sites, as well as avoiding potential artifacts to ensure unbiased conclusions. Using the multimodal characterization toolbox, we provide the opportunity to correlate the structure of a working catalyst...