Magnetic Field-Enhanced Acidic CO2 Electroreduction Reaction on Single Nickel-Site Catalysts

The synergistic integration of electrochemical reactions with an external magnetic field offers a powerful strategy for enhancing reaction performance. Herein, we introduce a flexible and continuously adjustable external magnetic field to enhance acidic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) performance. In an acidic electrolyte (pH = 0.91), the initial Faradaic efficiency (FE) of the CO₂RR for CO is only 18%, which can be increased to 63.2% when a 2 T magnetic field is applied. More importantly, the introduction of this external magnetic field enables the continuous switching of CO₂ reduction products in a noncontact magnetic switching mode. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the application of a magnetic field promotes CO₂ adsorption at Ni sites and inhibits the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), ultimately enhancing CO₂RR activity and selectivity. This work provides fresh insight into how an external magnetic field promotes CO₂RR performance.