One more step to realistic CO₂ reduction reactions—geometric structures evolutions at gas–solid interface

A rational design of copper (Cu) nanocatalyst is critical to the efficient carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion toward C₁/C₂ chemical products. Yet, the lack of actual information on the vicinal Cu interfaces hinders the intrinsic activity-structure correlation establishment. Now with atomic-scale in situ characterizations (AP-STM and synchrotron-based AP-XPS), Park and co-workers study and identify the adsorbate-driven morphological evolution of Cu nanoclusters on the Cu(997) surface, providing real-space evidence for the critical role of vicinal structures on Cu nanocatalyst. Such observed surface roughening trends caused by dissociated atomic oxygen and CO adsorbates subsequently affect the result of successive catalytic reactions to produce critical intermediates, such as carbonate and formate, during the CO₂ reduction reaction.