Single-atom anchored novel two-dimensional MoSi2N4 monolayers for efficient electroreduction of CO2 to formic acid and methane

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to identify transition-metal anchored MoSi2N4 monolayers as efficient and selective catalysts for electroreduction of CO2 into formic acid and methane, highlighting their stability and tunable activity.

Contribution

It introduces novel single-atom anchored MoSi2N4 catalysts with controllable selectivity and high activity for CO2 reduction, supported by theoretical calculations.

Findings

Co@MoSi2N4 favors formic acid production with a 0.89 eV barrier

Other catalysts favor methane with barriers of 0.81-1.24 eV

MoSi2N4 is highly stable in air

Abstract

Efficient and selective CO2 electroreduction into value-added chemicals and fuels emerged as a significant approach for CO2 conversion, however, it relies on catalysts with controllable product selectivity and reaction paths. In this work, by means of first-principles calculations, we identify five catalysts (TM@MoSi2N4, TM = Sc, Ti, Fe, Co and Ni) comprising transition-metal atoms anchored on a MoSi2N4 monolayer, whose catalytic performance can be controlled by adjusting the d-band center and occupation of supported metal atoms. During CO2 reduction, the single metal atoms function as the active sites activates the MoSi2N4 inert basal-plane, and as-designed electrocatalysts exhibit excellent activity in CO2 reduction. Interestingly, HCOOH is the preferred product of CO2 reduction on the Co@MoSi2N4 catalyst with a rate-determining barrier of 0.89 eV, while the other four catalysts prefer to reduce CO2 to CH4 with a rate-determining barrier of 0.81-1.24 eV. Moreover, MoSi2N4 is an extremely-air-stable material, which will facilitate its application in various environments. Our findings provide a promising candidate with high activity, catalysts for renewable energy technologies, and selectivity for experimental work.