@article{Tang2026, 
author = {Zhiling Tang and Yingli Wang and Yuechang Wei and Jing Xiong and Jinqing Jiao and Yunpeng Liu and Zhen Zhao},
title = {Highly Stable Cuδ+ Sites at Reconstruction-Resistant Al—O—Cu Bridge Bond for Boosting CO2 Electroreduction into Multi-Carbon Products},
year = {2026},
journal = {Transactions of Tianjin University},
volume = {32},
number = {3},
pages = {285-296},
keywords = {Electrocatalyst, CO2 reduction, Stability, Reconstruction-resistant},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12209-026-00474-4},
doi = {10.1007/s12209-026-00474-4},
abstract = {Copper (Cu) has been widely recognized as a promising catalyst for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2R) into value-added multi-carbon (C2+) chemicals. However, the limited selectivity of C2+ products persists due to the inactivation of precisely designed active sites triggered by uncontrollable reconstruction. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of the electrocatalysts of Lewis-acidic aluminum (Al)-doped copper oxides (AlCuOx) with exposed abundant atomic-scale Al − O − Cu sites. The strong Al − O − Cu bridge bonds effectively suppress surface electrochemical reconstruction, and highly stable Cuδ+ species are obtained. The AlCuOx catalyst exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic CO2R performance, delivering a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C2+ products of 73.6% (ethylene 54.16% and ethanol 19.44%), at a current density of − 221.7 mA/cm2. The analyses of in situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculations confirm that the high electron localization of Cu active sites in AlCuOx strengthens the interactions between Cu and linearly bonded *CO (*COL) through p − d orbital hybridization, thus facilitating C − C coupling and steering the CO2 electroreduction pathway toward C2+ products. This work provides new insights into constructing reconstruction-resistant Cu-based catalysts that enable efficient and stable CO2-to-C2+ conversion.}
}