Light-driven reduction of CO₂ into chemicals using a photoelectrochemical (PEC) approach is considered as a promising way to meet the carbon neutral target. The very top surface of the photoelectrode and semiconductor/electrolyte interface plays a pivotal role in defining the performance for PEC CO₂ reduction. However, such impact remains poorly understood. Here, we report an electrodeposition-annealing route for tailoring surface composition of ZnTe photocathodes. Our work demonstrates that a Zn-rich surface on the ZnTe photocathode is essential to impact the CO₂ reduction activity and selectivity. In particular, the Zn-rich surface not only facilitated the interfacial charge carrier transfer, but also acted as electrocatalyst for boosting carbon product selectivity and suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction. This work provides a new avenue to optimize the photocathode, as well as improvement of the CO₂RR performance.

中文翻译：

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表面组成影响 ZnTe 光电阴极面在光电化学 CO2 还原反应中的选择性


使用光电化学 （PEC） 方法将 CO₂ 光驱动还原为化学品被认为是实现碳中和目标的一种有前途的方法。光电极和半导体/电解质界面的最顶面在定义 PEC CO₂ 还原性能方面起着关键作用。然而，人们对这种影响仍然知之甚少。在这里，我们报道了一种用于定制 ZnTe 光阴极面表面组成的电沉积-退火路线。我们的工作表明，ZnTe 光阴极面上的富锌表面对于影响 CO₂ 还原活性和选择性至关重要。特别是，富锌表面不仅促进了界面电荷载流子转移，而且还充当了提高碳产物选择性和抑制析氢反应的电催化剂。这项工作为优化光阴极面以及提高 CO₂RR 性能提供了一条新途径。