Theoretical insights into CO₂ electroreduction on single and dual heteroatom-doped diamonds

We employed Periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT) to investigate the catalytic activity of single and double dopant of boron (B), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) anchored on diamond surfaces for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO2RR) by analyzing reaction energy profiles. Our findings show that the double-doped catalyst exhibits lower energy barriers in CO2RR compared to the single dopants. Specifically, when considering BB and NN configurations, there is a thermodynamic preference towards the formation of formic acid (HCOOH) with overpotentials of 0.40 and 0.09 V, respectively. The co-doped catalyst comprising B and N (BN) demonstrates a tendency towards the formation of HCOOH without requiring any applied overpotentials. Notably, BN outperforms other catalysts, occupying the top position on the volcano plot, indicating the lowest limiting potential (U_L), remarkable thermal stability, and the ability to suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This research provides valuable insights into the product differentiation in the electroreduction of CO₂. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd