Creating New MOF-based Interfaces for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based materials is a promising candidate as electrolycatalysts for energy conversion. MOF-derived materials have been widely employed as catalysts for overall water splitting, benefiting from MOF precursors’ unique porous structure, large surface area, and adjustable morphology/thickness, etc. Also, MOFs work well as desirable catalysts for mainly CO and formate production in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Cu-based MOFs acting as catalysts have demonstrated great potential for producing formate. In this thesis, one MOF-derived catalyst and two MOFs catalysts were designed and prepared for water splitting and CO2RR. The thesis provided strategies to boost conductivity, hence stability, and decrease the agglomeration of MOF-based catalysts and investigated the effect of electrolyte solvent on CO2RR.