Efficient electron transmission in covalent organic framework nanosheets for highly active electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction

Abstract

Efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into value-added products is essential for clean energy research. Design of stable, selective, and powerful electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is highly desirable yet largely unmet. In this work, a series of metalloporphyrin-tetrathiafulvalene based covalent organic frameworks (M-TTCOFs) are designed. Tetrathiafulvalene, serving as electron donator or carrier, can construct an oriented electron transmission pathway with metalloporphyrin. Thus-obtained M-TTCOFs can serve as electrocatalysts with high FE_CO (91.3%, −0.7 V) and possess high cycling stability (>40 h). In addition, after exfoliation, the FE_CO value of Co-TTCOF nanosheets (~5 nm) is higher than 90% in a wide potential range from −0.6 to −0.9 V and the maximum FE_CO can reach up to almost 100% (99.7%, −0.8 V). The electrocatalytic CO₂RR mechanisms are discussed and revealed by density functional theory calculations. This work paves a new way in exploring porous crystalline materials in electrocatalytic CO₂RR.

The study of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) has drawn much attention. Here the authors show a series of tetrathiafulvalene based COFs designed and exfoliated into nanosheets which exhibit high electrocatalytic CO₂RR performance.