Molecular tuning boosts asymmetric C-C coupling for CO conversion to acetate.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide reduction reaction offers a promising route to synthesize fuels and value-added chemicals, unfortunately their activities and selectivities remain unsatisfactory. Here, we present a general surface molecular tuning strategy by modifying CuO with a molecular pyridine-derivative. The surface modified CuO nanocubes by 4-mercaptopyridine display a high Faradaic efficiency of greater than 60% in electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction reaction to acetate with a current density as large as 380 mA/cm in a liquid electrolyte flow cell. In-situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy reveals stronger *CO signal with bridge configuration and stronger *OCCHO signal over modified CuO nanocubes by 4-mercaptopyridine than unmodified CuO nanocubes during electrochemical CO reduction. Density function theory calculations disclose that local molecular tuning can effectively regulate the electronic structure of copper catalyst, enhancing *CO and *CHO intermediates adsorption by the stabilization effect through hydrogen bonding, which can greatly promote asymmetric *CO-*CHO coupling in electrochemical carbon monoxide reduction reaction.