Efficient electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO on an electrodeposited Zn porous network

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to value-added chemicals is a promising strategy for making use of excess CO2. Here, we synthesized a porous network zinc catalyst by electrodeposition of Zn(NO3)(2) on Zn foil. The material exhibited excellent catalytic activity, being able to reduce CO2 to CO with similar to 80% Faradaic efficiency (FECO) at -1.1 V vs RHE. Control experiments suggested that the high activity of the Zn porous network can be attributed to its unique nanostructured surface with a large active surface area.