Highly stable photothermal CO(2) conversion to C(2)H(6) with 87% selectivity: cooperative charge redistribution in a heteronuclear catalyst stabilizes the reaction intermediates and enhances C-C coupling.

内容摘要

The photothermal conversion of CO2 into selective multi-carbon hydrocarbons remains an unresolved challenge due to the instability of the key intermediates and the high barrier for C-C coupling. Here, we report an atomically integrated Cu-Au heteronuclear catalyst on carbon nitride (Cu-Au/CN) that converts CO2 to ethane (C2H6) with 87% selectivity at a rate of 30 mmol g-1 h-1, maintaining steady performance for over 200 hours and structural integrity for over one year. This catalyst surpasses the existing selectivity benchmarks for photothermal CO2 hydrogenation. The Cu-Au interface induces cooperative electronic asymmetry and charge redistribution, extending carrier lifetimes by over 160%. These effects stabilize the *CO and *CH3 intermediates, lower the C-C coupling barrier, and establish a durable and atomically precise platform for continuous C2 hydrocarbon production toward sustainable CO2 valorization.