Long-Term Evolution and Regeneration of In-Bi Core-Shell Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction to Formate under Industrial-like Conditions

Industrial CO2 electroreduction (CO2RR) to formate requires catalysts to maintain high yields over long periods. The In-Bi catalyst shows great performance, with air regeneration significantly prolonging its lifetime. However, further stability improvement is needed for industrial use. The catalyst features an In2O3 shell and a Bi core, with crystalline alloys. We identified In2O3 as active phase during short-term low current density in situ XAS measurements. TEM-EDX data show that long-term high current density operation causes significant morphological changes, suggesting active phase evolution during industrial use. New strategies to enhance stability rely on understanding these changes and the regeneration impact. We propose performing ex situ XAS and XRD on samples taken at key reaction steps, where XANES will trace oxide changes, and EXAFS and XRD structural evolution. This research will contribute to the study of core-shell catalysts for CO2RR and to the industrial use of In-Bi.