Promotional effects of In(PO) on the high catalytic activity of CuO-In(PO)/C for the CO reduction reaction.

The construction of Cu-In bi-component catalysts is an effective strategy to enhance the electrocatalytic properties towards the CO reduction reaction (CORR). However, realizing the co-promotion of In and heteroatom P on the electrocatalytic performance is still a challenge due to the poor selectivity of metal phosphides. Herein, a novel bi-component catalyst (CuO-In(PO)/C) was successfully synthesized a facile one-pot reaction to realize the integration of Cu, In, and P species for the enhancement of electrocatalysis. In particular, the as-obtained nanorod-like Cu-In(PO)/C exhibits superior electrocatalysis towards the CORR, with the highest Faraday efficiency of CO (FE) of 88.5% at -0.586 V. Furthermore, Cu-In(PO)/C shows better activity, selectivity, and stability in the CORR; in particular, the total current density can reach 178.09 mA cm at -0.886 V in 2.0 M KOH solution when a flow cell is employed. This work provides a reliable method for simplifying the synthesis of novel Cu-based catalysts and exploits the application of heteroatom P in the field of efficient CORR.