Work

Sulfur-incorporated copper catalysts for enhanced ethylene production in membrane electrode assembly CO2 electrolysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Copper sulfides typically favor formate production in CO 2 electrolysis, yet their behavior under membrane electrode assembly (MEA) conditions remains largely uncharted. In this study, Cu x S/Cu electrodes with tunable morphologies, including spheres, films, polygons, and cubes, were synthesized, and the surface sulfur content was systematically tuned through electrodeposition followed by controlled sulfidation. Performance evaluation in MEA systems reveals that sulfidation markedly enhances C 2 H 4 selectivity and partial current density (PCD). For spherical Cu electrodes, sulfidation to a S/Cu surface ratio of 0.33 resulted in a 1.76-fold increase in C 2 H 4 PCD, from 58.2 to 102.5 mA/cm 2 at 3.2 V. In situ Raman spectroscopy suggests that sulfur coordination stabilizes bridge-bonded CO and promotes the formation of the CH 2 CHO intermediate, which is consistent with the enhanced C 2 H 4 activity. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Cu-rich sulfide surfaces, including Cu 2 S and Cu 31 S 16 , stabilize *OCCO intermediates, suggesting a thermodynamically favorable C–C coupling reaction pathway through synergistic Cu–S coordination. These findings identify surface sulfur incorporation as a structural motif that actively promotes CO dimerization and enhances C 2 H 4 selectivity under MEA conditions.

Source: Nano Convergence

DOI: 10.1186/s40580-026-00581-x