The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR), which converts CO₂ into value-added chemicals, offers a promising pathway toward carbon neutrality. Considerable efforts to convert CO₂ into C₂₊ chemicals have focused on steering CO₂RR pathways through the rational design of Cu-based electrocatalysts that promote *CO dimerization. A critical challenge in CO₂RR is catalyst reconstruction under operating conditions, which inevitably alters the precisely engineered active sites under operating conditions. Here, I will present our recent efforts to elucidate the fundamental principles governing the reconstruction of electrocatalysts and to harness this dynamic process for targeted product formation. We found that *CO-induced metal dissolution-redeposition dynamics, together with miscibility-governed atomic rearrangement, play a pivotal role in surface reconstruction. We extend our investigation to examine the impact of electrolyte pH and ligand engineering on catalyst reconstruction.