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Advanced Energy and Decarbonisation Office (AEDO)

Highly Selective and Efficient C60-Buffered P-Block Metal-Based Electrocatalysts for CO₂ Reduction to HCOOH

1 October 2026

Affiliation

NUS

Focus topic

CO2-to-Chemicals and Fuels

Fullerene-Powered Catalysts Turn CO₂ Into Valuable Formic Acid

Summary

This new class of highly selective and stable electrocatalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to formate/formic acid (HCOOH) preferentially stabilises the *OCHO intermediate and suppresses the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

The core innovation is the use of metal nanoparticles dispersed on nanosheets to form composite catalysts. This design leverages strong electronic interactions and charge transfer between the metal nanoparticles and the nanosheet framework. The catalysts are fabricated using simple, environmentally friendly methods and are robust under both alkaline and acidic operating conditions.

Key quantitative achievements:

  1. In-C60: Faradaic efficiency (FE) for formate ~93% at 900 mA cm⁻² (alkaline) and ~97% at 700 mA cm⁻² (acid)

  2. Pb-C60: FE >96.5% at 900 mA cm⁻² (alkaline); 97.3% at 700 mA cm⁻² (acid); H₂ suppressed below 2.2%

  3. Stability: In-C60 sustained >210 hours in alkaline media with FEH₂ remaining below 3%

  4. Formate production rate: Pb−C60 reaches 16.2 mmol h⁻¹ cm⁻² at 900 mA cm⁻² (alkaline).

What makes this novel compared to best-in-class technology?

Unlike system-specific approaches such as halogen-modified Sn (which underperforms above ~100 mA cm⁻²) or heteroatom doping, C60's intrinsic electron-buffering capability provides a universal, single-platform electronic-tuning strategy applicable across multiple P-block metals, delivering simultaneously high selectivity, high current density performance, and long-term stability without complex or metal-specific synthesis.

TRL Level

 1-3

Relevant for

  1. Chemical manufacturers producing formic acid

  2. Green hydrogen / fuel cell developers using formate/formic acid as a hydrogen carrier or liquid fuel

  3. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology providers integrating CO₂ electrolyser systems

  4. Industrial electrolyser manufacturers seeking high-performance cathode catalyst materials

  5. Renewable energy storage companies using CO₂-to-formate as an electrochemical energy storage pathway

About

NUS logo

Inventors: Chen Wei

Affiliation: National University of Singapore (NUS), Department of Chemistry

Contact NUS for licensing opportunities and more information.

Please quote ID ref [2025-105] in your email.