LAUSR

Controlling the architectures and crystal phases of metal@semiconductor heterostructures is very important for modulating their physicochemical properties and enhancing their application performances. Here, we report a facile one-pot wet-chemical method to synthesize three types of amorphous SnO2 -encapsulated crystalline Cu heterostructures, i.e., hemicapsule, yolk-shell and core-shell nanostructures, in which unconventional crystal phases (e.g., 2H, 4H, and 6H) and defects (e.g., stacking faults and twin boundaries), have been observed in the crystalline Cu cores. The hemicapsule Cu@SnO2 heterostructures, with voids that not only expose the Cu core with unconventional phases but also retain the interface between Cu and SnO2 , show an excellent electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) selectivity towards the production of CO and formate with high Faradaic efficiency (FE) above 90% in a wide potential window from -1.05 to -1.55 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), and the highest FE of CO2 RR (95.3%) has been obtained at -1.45 V (versus RHE). This work opens up a new way for the synthesis of new heterostructured nanomaterials with promising catalytic application. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.