Silicalite-1 Zeolites-Supported Copper Oxides for CO 2 Electroreduction in Acidic Media

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2R) in acidic media represents a promising route to CO2 utilization by circumventing the critical concern of carbonate formation in water. Herein, we report that silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolites functioned as a solid support for copper oxides (CuO), which demonstrated superior performance in electrochemical CO2 conversion into hydrocarbons in acidic media. The as-derived catalyst achieved a Faradaic efficiency (FE) above 40% for the production of CH4 and C2H4 at relatively high overpotentials. Systematic control experiments revealed that the microporosity of S-1 zeolite concentrated CO2 through its high physical adsorption ability, while the silica surface stabilized the Cu oxidation state against an extreme reduction environment. Such effects enabled selective and durable CO2 conversion. These results underscore the potential of microporous zeolites as an efficient support for designing high-performance CO2R electrocatalysts.