Robust CO2-to-C2+ electrosynthesis on alkaline-earth/copper catalysts

Robust CO2-to-C2+ electrosynthesis on alkaline-earth/copper catalysts | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Robust CO 2 -to-C 2+ electrosynthesis on alkaline-earth/copper catalysts Chunyi Zhi, Xintao Ma, Peng Chen, Rong Zhang, Shuaiwei Jiang, and 11 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9368126/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Electrochemical CO2 reduction to multicarbon (C2+) products offers a promising route toward carbon neutrality. However, operational robustness remains a major challenge, as Cu catalysts generally achieve high C2+ Faradaic efficiency (FE) only within narrow operating windows, limiting practical deployment under dynamic conditions. Here, guided by dual-descriptor screening, we identify alkaline earth metals as a distinctive class of Cu modifiers that balance *CO adsorption with *CO-to-*CHO hydrogenation, thereby favoring asymmetric C–C coupling and enabling robust C2+ electrosynthesis. Among them, Sr-Cu is identified as the most effective catalyst and reconstructs into a stable Sr2Cu(OH)6/Cu interface under reaction conditions. In a flow cell, it maintains C2+ FE above 80% over 0.4–1.2 A cm–2, reaching 91% at 1.0 A cm–2, and retains high C2+ selectivity across broad pH, CO2 flow rates and K+ concentration windows, with a maximum C2+ single-pass carbon efficiency of 62%. This robustness extends to a full cell, where Sr-Cu delivers 92% C2+ FE and 35% C2+ energy conversion efficiency. These findings establish alkaline-earth/copper catalysts as a robust platform for C2+ electrosynthesis under dynamic operating conditions. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Catalysis/Electrocatalysis Physical sciences/Chemistry/Energy Physical sciences/Materials science/Materials for energy and catalysis/Electrocatalysis Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.pdf Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9368126","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":626514398,"identity":"1ce71499-eada-4b35-9ba6-27c97edd008a","order_by":0,"name":"Chunyi 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