| Title: |
Perovskite-driven solar C 2 hydrocarbon synthesis from CO 2 |
| Authors: |
Andrei, V; Roh, I; Lin, JA; Lee, J; Shan, Y; Lin, CK; Shelton, S; Reisner, E; Yang, P |
| Publisher Information: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC; Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry; //doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01292-y; Nature Catalysis |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository |
| Subject Terms: |
3403 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry; 34 Chemical Sciences; 3406 Physical Chemistry; 7 Affordable and Clean Energy |
| Description: |
Abstract Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) presents a direct pathway to solar fuel synthesis by integrating light absorption and catalysis into compact electrodes. Yet, PEC hydrocarbon production remains elusive due to high catalytic overpotentials and insufficient semiconductor photovoltage. Here we demonstrate ethane and ethylene synthesis by interfacing lead halide perovskite photoabsorbers with suitable copper nanoflower electrocatalysts. The resulting perovskite photocathodes attain a 9.8% Faradaic yield towards C2 hydrocarbon production at 0 V against the reversible hydrogen electrode. The catalyst and perovskite geometric surface areas strongly influence C2 photocathode selectivity, which indicates a role of local current density in product distribution. The thermodynamic limitations of water oxidation are overcome by coupling the photocathodes to Si nanowire photoanodes for glycerol oxidation. These unassisted perovskite–silicon PEC devices attain partial C2 hydrocarbon photocurrent densities of 155 µA cm−2, 200-fold higher than conventional perovskite–BiVO4 artificial leaves for water and CO2 splitting. These insights establish perovskite semiconductors as a versatile platform towards PEC multicarbon synthesis. ; Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability (Winton-Kavli ENSI Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship); St John’s College (Title A Research Fellowship); the Liquid Sunlight Alliance, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Fuels from Sunlight Hub (DE-SC0021266); Taiwan Ministry of Education; UKRI (EP/X030563/1); the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-AC02-05CH11231); NIH (S10OD024998); Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.114522; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/379686 |
| Availability: |
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/379686 |
| Rights: |
Attribution 4.0 International ; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.3126797C |
| Database: |
BASE |