Metal–organic framework-mediated strategy for enhanced methane production on copper nanoparticles in electrochemical CO ₂ reduction

Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) to useful chemicals is considered a potential solution to resolve the climate threat. In this study, a facile metal-organic framework (MOF)-mediated strategy to obtain an efficient electrocatalyst for the synthesis of methane (CH ₄ ) is suggested. Cu-based MOF-74 was chosen as the precursor, which was electrochemically reduced to obtain Cu nanoparticles (NPs). The porous structure of the MOF serves as a template for the synthesis of isolated Cu NP clusters with high catalytic activities and high efficiencies for the CH ₄ production in the electrochemical CO ₂ reduction reaction. The MOF-derived Cu NPs demonstrate high Faradaic efficiency (>50%) for the CH ₄ production with suppressed C ₂ production, and 2.3-fold higher methanation activity at −1.3 V (vs. RHE) compared to the commercial Cu NPs.