Design of Electrocatalyst for CO 2 Reduction V . Effect of the Microcrystalline Structures of Cu‐Sn and Cu‐Zn Alloys on the Electrocatalysis of Reduction

Electrocatalytic activities of Cu-Sn and Cu-Zn alloys for CO[sub 2] reduction were examined in 0.05M KHCO[sub 2] aqueous solution at 2 C. It was found that the selectivity, the reversibility, and the reactivity for CO or HCOOH production strongly depended on the microcrystalline phase rather than the gross composition of alloys. The crystallites of the intermetallic compounds of Cu[sub 5.6]Sn and Cu[sub 5]Zn[sub 8] were effective phases for the selective formation of CO with a high reaction rate.