Nanocavity-enriched Porous Cu2O Catalyst for Selective CO2 Reduction to Multicarbon Products through the Nanoconfinement Effect

Incorporating a nanoporous surface and a nanocavity into an electrocatalytic platform increases the active surface area and local mass density. Construct of specialized geometrical structures that are protected from harsh electrochemical environments is critical, albeit challenging, for improving the catalytic performance of CO2 reduction (CO2R). In this study, we successfully incorporate porosity and a cavity into a single structure, a porous copper nanocavity, derived from a pristine porous Cu2O template. We compare the CO2R catalytic performance of the porous copper nanocavity with that of a bulky catalyst derived from commercial Cu2O, and the former shows superior selectivity for multicarb on products. Operando Raman spectra suggest that the enhanced CO2R catalytic performance results from high *CO coverage and the confinement of intermediates in the porous copper nanocavity. These results may pave the way for the rational geometric design of selective catalysts for CO2R.