Abstract
The lack of efficient electrocatalysts has been a main obstacle for the large-scale commercialization of CO2 electroreduction. In this work, we demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) β-PdBi2 monolayer is a promising solution for this issue. β-PdBi2 monolayer is a stable 2D crystal, and the three-dimensional bulk interlayer energy is similar as for other layered materials that can be exfoliated into 2D crystals. Interestingly, β-PdBi2 monolayer has rather intriguing electronic properties: while being metallic, it also has a non-trivial topological point. Remarkably, the extra electronic states at the Fermi level induced by the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling effect significantly enhance the adsorption of OCHO∗ intermediate on β-PdBi2 monolayer, resulting in a rather small onset potential of −0.26 V vs. RHE for CO2 electroreduction to HCOOH. These results not only suggest a promising candidate for CO2 electrolysis but also deepen our understanding of the factors dominating the catalytic activity of 2D materials.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 100091 |
Journal | Materials Today Advances |
Volume | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2020 Dec |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors are grateful for funding support from the National Key Research & Development Program of China ( 2019YFA0308000 ), the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21873050 ), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s)
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Materials Science(all)
- Mechanical Engineering