Electronic Effects Determine the Selectivity of Planar Au–Cu Bimetallic Thin Films for Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction

Au-Cu bimetallic thin films with controlled composition were fabricated by magnetron sputtering co-deposition, and their performance for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 was investigated. The uniform planar morphology served as a platform to evaluate the electronic effect isolated from morphological effects while minimizing geometric contributions. The catalytic selectivity and activity of Au-Cu alloys was found to be correlated with the...