Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2026, Vol. 86: 212-224.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65090-5

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Atomic Bi substitution stabilized AgBi single-atom alloy with 4H/fcc heterophase interfaces for efficient CO2 reduction

Wenbo Wanga, Shanhe Gonga, Erjun Kanb, Guoxing Zhua,*(), Pengwei Huoa, Jintong Guanc,*(), Xiaomeng Lva,*()   

  1. a School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
    b Department of Applied Physics and Institution of Energy and Microstructure, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, Jiangsu, China
    c School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
  • Received:2025-11-05 Accepted:2026-01-26 Online:2026-07-18 Published:2026-06-12
  • Contact: *E-mail: zhuguoxing@ujs.edu.cn (G. Zhu) guanjt1224@gmail.com (J. Guan), lvxm@ujs.edu.cn (X. Lv).
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(21776115);Key Research and Development Program of Zhenjiang(GY2021004);Special Program for School of Emergency Management in Jiangsu University(JG-04-12);Program of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing(Wuhan University of Technology);Program of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing(2024-KF-24);Innovative Program for Graduate Student Research Practice of Jiangsu Province(KYCX24_4005)

Abstract:

The pressing need to address global energy demand and climate change has positioned electrochemical CO2 reduction into high-value chemicals as a crucial technology for carbon cycling and sustainable energy storage. However, precise control over the interfacial structure of active sites in single-atom alloy (SAA) remains a considerable challenge, significantly restricting their catalytic performance. In this study, we propose an atomic-level substitution strategy, integrating large atomic radius of Bi atoms into the Ag lattice to trigger and stabilize a 4H/fcc-Ag heterophase interfaces. Theoretical and experimental analyses reveal that the induced lattice strain stabilizes the metastable 4H phase and optimizes the geometric/electronic configuration of active sites, thereby enhancing the orbital overlap between Ag-3d and C-2p orbitals and lowering the energy barrier for *COOH formation. The optimal 4H/fcc Ag49Bi1 SAA catalyst, comprising approximately 3% 4H-Ag and 97% fcc-Ag, achieves CO Faraday efficiency (FECO) of 99.5%, single-pass conversion efficiency of 70%, CO yield of 45.6 mmol h−1 cm−2 and superior durability over 330 h under 200 mA cm−2 in an alkaline flow cell. A membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer incorporating the catalyst reached a peak FECO of 98.6% at 150 mA cm−2 and maintaining FECO >80% for 70 h under 100 mA cm−2 without decay. When applied in a customized Zn-CO2 battery, it delivered a peak power density of 0.86 mW cm−2, along with 140 h cycling stability at 2 mA cm−2. This work underscores the potential of atomic-level substitution for precise interface engineering, providing a novel strain-engineering strategy for designing high-performance SAA catalysts.

Key words: Single-atom alloy, Atomic-level substitution, Heterophase interfaces, Local lattice strain, Durability