Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Carbon Nanorods Encapsulating Bismuth Oxides for Rapid and Selective CO₂ Electroreduction to Formate

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion is promising in alleviating the excessive CO₂ level and simultaneously producing valuables. This work reports the preparation of carbon nanorods encapsulated bismuth oxides for the efficient CO₂ electroconversion toward formate production. This resultant catalyst exhibits a small onset potential of −0.28 V vs. RHE and partial current density of over 200 mA cm⁻² with a stable and high Faradaic efficiency of 93 % for formate generation in a flow cell configuration. Electrochemical results demonstrate the synergistic effect in the Bi₂O₃@C promotes the rapid and selective CO₂ reduction in which the Bi₂O₃ is beneficial for improving the reaction kinetics and formate selectivity, while the carbon matrix would be helpful for enhancing the activity and current density of formate production. This work provides effective bismuth-based MOF derivatives for efficient formate production and offers insights in promoting practical CO₂ conversion technology.