Promotion of CO Electroreduction on Bismuth Nanosheets with Cerium Oxide nanoparticles.

Formic acid (HCOOH) is a highly energy efficient product of the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR). Bismuth-based catalysts have shown promise in the conversion of CO to formic acid, but there is still a great need for further improvement in selectivity and activity. Herein, we report the preparation of Bi nanosheets decorated by cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO) with high Ce/Ce ratio and rich oxygen vacancies.

Controllable Crystallization of Two-Dimensional Bi Nanocrystals with Morphology-Boosted CO Electroreduction in Wide pH Environments.

Two-dimensional low-melting-point (LMP) metal nanocrystals are attracting increasing attention with broad and irreplaceable applications due to their unique surface and topological structures. However, the chemical synthesis, especially the fine control over the nucleation (reduction) and growth (crystallization), of such LMP metal nanocrystals remains elusive as limited by the challenges of low standard redox potential, low melting point, poor crystalline symmetry, etc. Here, a controllable reduction-melting-crystallization (RMC) protocol to synthesize free-standing and surfactant-free bismuth nanocrystals with tunable dimensions, morphologies, and surface structures is presented.

Boosting CO Electroreduction on Bismuth Nanoplates with a Three-Dimensional Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Aerogel Matrix.

Electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR), which uses renewable electricity to produce high-value-added chemicals, offers an alternative clean path to the carbon cycle. However, bismuth-based catalysts show great potential for the conversion of CO and water to formate, but their overall efficiency is still hampered by the weak CO adsorption, low electrical conductivity, and slow mass transfer of CO molecules. Herein, we report that a rationally modulated nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel matrix (NGA) can significantly enhance the CORR performance of bismuth nanoplates (BiNPs) by both modulating the electronic structure of bismuth and regulating the interface for chemical reaction and mass transfer environments.

Controlled Synthesis of Intermetallic Au Bi Nanocrystals and Au Bi/Bi Hetero-Nanocrystals with Promoted Electrocatalytic CO Reduction Properties.

The electrocatalytic properties of metal nanoparticles (NPs) strongly depend on their compositions and structures. Rational design of alloys and/or heterostructures provides additional approaches to modifying their surface geometric and electronic structures for optimized electrocatalytic performance. Here, a solution synthesis of freestanding intermetallic Au Bi NPs, the heterostructures of Au Bi/Bi hetero-NPs, and their promoted electrocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CO RR) performances were reported.

Modulating the electrocatalytic CO reduction performances of bismuth nanoparticles with carbon substrates with controlled degrees of oxidation.

The catalytic performances of metal nanoparticles can be widely tuned and promoted by the metal-support interactions. Here, we report that the morphologies and electrocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CORR) properties of bismuth nanoparticles (BiNPs) can be rationally modulated by their interactions with carbon black (CB) supports by controlling the degree of surface oxidation. Appropriately oxidized CB supports can provide sufficient oxygen-containing groups for anchoring BiNPs with tunable sizes and surface areas, desirable key intermediate adsorption abilities, appropriate surface wettability, and adequate electron transfer abilities.