Modification of LSCM Structure by Anchoring Alloy Nanoparticles for Efficient CO2 Electrolysis

Solid oxide electrolytic cells (SOECs) are a sustainable solution for carbon-neutral applications due to their property of simultaneously removing excess carbon dioxide from the air and producing valuable chemicals. However, the unsatisfactory cathodic catalytic activity has been hindering the popularization of this technology. In this work, we anchored FeCu alloy nanoparticles on the surface of perovskite cathode (La0.7Sr0.3Cr0.5Mn0.5(FeCu)xO3−δ, LSCM(FC)x, x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1) by overdoping Fe and Cu at the B-site and reduction pretreatment to establish a stable metal–oxide active interface, which promoted the CO2 adsorption and decomposition, thus achieving the optimization of catalytic performance and carbon deposition resistance. The LSCM(FC)0.075 prepared in the study exhibited higher catalytic activity (CO productivity up to 4.41 mL min–1 cm–2 and 98.1% Faradaic current efficiency at 1.6 V and 850 °C), in contrast to its CO yield which was 2.6 times that of the untreated LSCM. Furthermore, the current was maintained stably during up to 100 h of testing, and the LSCM(FC)0.075-SDC electrode structure was not altered with no obvious degradation in performance. This new design of the SOEC cathode material will therefore have great potential for development.