Formation of Lattice-Dislocated Zinc Oxide via Anodic Corrosion for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Syngas with a Potential-Dependent CO:H2 Ratio

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 and H2O to syngas, a widely used precursor for chemical synthesis, has attracted increased attention. However, producing syngas over a wide range of CO:H-2 ratios is important for its potential application. Herein, a facile method using an anodic oxidizing zinc plate has been developed to obtain lattice-dislocated ZnO, which exhibited higher faradaic efficiencies (above 90%) of syngas than that of ZnO without lattice dislocation. Moreover, the ratio of CO to H-2 can be regulated in a wide range from 0.28 to 2.11 by applying different electrolyzing potentials, which is applicable to the synthesis of various chemicals. With density functional theory calculations, we conclude that the lattice dislocation defects in ZnO promote the electroreduction of CO2. In addition, stability and electrochemical noise tests show that lattice-dislocated ZnO can withstand long-term operation due to its effective corrosion resistance.