Transition-Metal Single Atoms in a Graphene Shell as Active Centers for Highly Efficient Artificial Photosynthesis

Utilizing solar energy to fix CO ₂ with water into chemical fuels and oxygen, a mimic process of photosynthesis in nature, is becoming increasingly important but still challenged by low selectivity and activity, especially in CO ₂ electrocatalytic reduction. Here, we report transition-metal atoms coordinated in a graphene shell as active centers for aqueous CO ₂ reduction to CO with high faradic efficiencies over 90% under significant currents up to ~60 mA/mg. We employed three-dimensional atom probe tomography to directly identify the single Ni atomic sites in graphene vacancies. Theoretical simulations suggest that compared with metallic Ni, the Ni atomic sites present different electronic structures that facilitate CO ₂-to-CO conversion and suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction dramatically. Furthermore, coupled with Li+-tuned Co ₃O ₄ oxygen evolution catalyst and powered by a triple-junction solar cell, our artificial photosynthesis system achieves a peak solar-to-CO efficiency of 12.7% by using earth-abundant transition-metal electrocatalysts in a pH-equal system. Authors: