Compositionally Screened Eutectic Catalytic Coatings on Halide Perovskite Photocathodes for Photoassisted Selective CO₂ Reduction

Selective CO₂ reduction via photoelectrocatalysis is a creative approach to alleviating the energy crisis and environmental deterioration as well as to producing value-added chemicals. A considerable challenge is the development of electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalytic systems to selectively and efficiently produce a target product. Here, we report an efficient and selective photocathode for converting CO₂ to HCOOH in aqueous solution. A rational compositional screening strategy was first applied to pinpoint In_0.4Bi_0.6 from ternary In-Bi-Sn alloys as the most HCOOH-selective electrocatalyst composition among the electrocatalysts reported. A photocathode was then fabricated by coating the catalytic, protective, and conductive In_0.4Bi_0.6 alloy layer on a halide perovskite photovoltaic, effectively utilizing its low melting point eutectic molten state. The generated photovoltage assisted reduction of the overpotential by 680 mV while producing a stable current for nearly exclusive HCOOH production under simulated AM 1.5G irradiation. This work provides a promising approach to achieving efficient and selective solar-fuel conversion.