Cu/LaFeO3 as an efficient and stable catalyst for CO2 reduction: Exploring synergistic effect between Cu and LaFeO3

Abstract Cu‐based catalysts, which are regarded as the most promising catalysts for CO 2 conversion, suffer dramatic deactivation at high temperatures. In this work, LaFeO 3 , a typical perovskite‐type oxide, is employed to disperse and stabilize Cu particles for the reverse water gas shift reaction. Compared to traditional Cu‐based catalysts, Cu/LaFeO 3 exhibits a higher conversion with 100% CO selectivity and better stability at 873 K. Structural and spectroscopic characterization including N 2 O chemisorption, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, in situ x‐ray diffraction, and x‐ray absorption fine structure show that metallic Cu is well dispersed on LaFeO 3 , forming more Cu‐LaFeO 3 interface. CO 2 temperature‐programmed surface reaction (CO 2 ‐TPSR), two‐step transient surface reaction (two‐step TSR), and transient in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformed spectroscopy experiments demonstrate that the superior activity is attributed to the synergistic effect between the highly dispersed Cu particles for H 2 dissociation and the abundant oxygen vacancies in LaFeO 3 support for CO 2 activation. The synergistic effect between metal and perovskite‐type oxide increases metal‐support interfaces and enhances CO 2 activation, leading to a potential application in a variety of chemical reactions.