X-ray Scattering Reveals Copper Electrocatalyst Dynamics for CO2 Reduction

In 2025, researchers in the Netherlands utilized multiscale in-situ X-ray scattering at beamline ID02 to investigate the activation and deactivation of copper oxide electrocatalysts during carbon dioxide reduction. The study, published in *Nature Communications*, offers insights into creating more durable materials for electrochemical carbon dioxide conversion, a crucial step in recycling industrial chemical waste and transitioning to renewable energy. Electrocatalysts undergo structural changes during operation, leading to reduced efficiency. The team employed simultaneous wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS/SAXS) to monitor the structural evolution of copper oxide particles. They observed that the deactivation of the catalyst correlated with surface roughening at the nanometer scale. Further analysis using Raman spectroscopy confirmed the evolution of surface sites, leading to reduced CO reduction activity and increased hydrogen evolution. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of multiscale in-situ X-ray scattering for understanding electrocatalyst behavior. The research lays the foundation for designing electrocatalysts with improved stability and selectivity for CO reduction, potentially revolutionizing the field of electrochemical carbon dioxide conversion.