Small alkali cations direct CO electroreduction to hydrocarbons rather than oxygenates

Key Points

• Hydrocarbons were predominantly produced over oxygenates during CO electroreduction, showing a clear preference for these carbon products.
• Key evidence from the study shows that the presence of small alkali cations improves hydrocarbon selectivity by a substantial margin.
• Analysis of the electrochemical conversion process highlights how specific alkali cations influence product formation pathways.
• These findings may enable the development of more efficient catalytic systems for CO utilization, paving the way for greener technologies.