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May 17, 2026Angewandte Chemie0 citations

Molecular Bridge Enables Dual‐Intermediate Synergy for Selective CO 2 Electroreduction to Multicarbon Products

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CWChaofan WanYFY D FangLLLi Li

Key Points

  • This research aims to improve CO2 electroreduction efficiency for multicarbon products by addressing intermediate challenges.
  • Integrated sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine with Cu nanosheets to create a cooperative catalytic interface.
  • Constructed a molecular bridge to activate CO2 and enhance proton transfer for better intermediate delivery.
  • Evaluated performance through Faradaic efficiency and product ratio metrics.
  • Achieved 81% Faradaic efficiency for C2+ products at 400 mA cm−2.
  • Improved C2+:(CO + H2) ratio from 0.7 to 4.6, indicating over sixfold enhancement in selectivity.
  • In situ spectroscopy showed increased active intermediates and accelerated formation pathways.

Abstract

ABSTRACT CO 2 electroreduction to multicarbon products offers a sustainable pathway for chemical synthesis, yet its practical efficiency has long been hindered by the kinetically mismatched *CO and *H intermediates, a fundamental bottleneck in multicarbon formation. Here, we address this challenge through a new molecular‐bridge‐enabled dual‐intermediate synergy strategy. By integrating sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine molecules with two‐dimensional Cu nanosheets, we construct a cooperative catalytic interface in which the molecular bridge not only activates CO 2 to generate *CO but also reorganizes the interfacial water network to facilitate proton transfer for *H feeding. This synchronized CO*─H* delivery to the Cu active sites dramatically enhances C─C coupling and subsequent hydrogenation. As a result, the Cu─CS nanosheets achieve 81% Faradaic efficiency for C 2+ products at 400 mA cm −2 and maintain stable operation for > 105 h. Importantly, Cu─CS nanosheets shift the reaction pathway from the CO/H 2 ‐dominated output of pristine Cu nanosheets to a C 2+ ‐selective profile, boosting the C 2+ :(CO + H 2 ) ratio from 0.7 to 4.6, an over sixfold improvement. In situ spectroscopy reveals enriched high‐frequency atop‐bound *CO and increased proton‐transfer‐active 2‐HB·H 2 O species, synergistically accelerating C 2+ intermediate formation and indicating the effectiveness of molecular intermediate synergy in steering electrocatalytic pathways and product distribution.

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Cite This Study

Wan et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a095af37880e6d24efe0b13https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.6511351
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