Bi Dendrites succeed under challenging flue gas conditions for CO2RR

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ERC) from flue gas is a promising solution to mitigate CO2 emissions and importantly has the ability for direct industrial application. However, components such as N2, O2, SOx, NOx, andH2O in flue gas can hinder ERC efficiency, affecting catalyst stability and selectivity. This study systematically investigates the effect of these flue gas components on a metallic Bi dendrite catalyst. The catalyst shows remarkable stability (over 6 days are observed with constant current generation) surpassing other monometallic Bi catalysts. The active state of the catalyst has been demonstrated with operando XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) analysis which has confirmed the metallic state of bismuth and notably, the catalyst performance remains unaffected despite the presence of other flue gas components such as N2, O2, SOx, and NOx. This research aims to fill a critical gap, demonstrating how flue gas components influence ERC activity and pave the way for future advancements in catalyst optimization.