Search

Advancing catalyst design requires meticulous control of nanocatalyst selectivity at the atomic level. Here, we synthesized two Pd1Ag14 nanoclusters: Pd1Ag14(PPh3)8(SPh(CF3)2)6 and Pd1Ag14(P(Ph-p-OMe)3)7(SPh)6, each with well-defined structures. Notably, in Pd1Ag14(P(Ph-p-OMe)3)7(SPh)6, the detachment of a phosphine ligand from the top silver atom facilitates the exposure of singular active sites. This exposure significantly enhances its selectivity for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO, achieving a Faraday efficiency of 83.3% at −1.3 V, markedly surpassing the 28.1% performance at −1.2 V of Pd1Ag14(PPh3)8(SPh(CF3)2)6. This work underscores the impact of atomic-level structural manipulation on enhancing nanocatalyst performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]