Van der Waals Heterostructures for Investigating CO₂ Reduction Reaction by Scanning Probe Microscopy Techniques

Heyun DU^1,2,3,4*

¹Chemical Engineering Department, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
²Battery Research Center of Green Energy, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
³Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
⁴Center for Sustainability and Energy Technologies, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

* Presenter:Heyun DU, email:heyundu@mail.mcut.edu.tw

The development of efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂RR) is crucial for advancing sustainable energy technologies. Van der Waals heterostructures, composed of stacked two-dimensional materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides, provide unique opportunities to tailor electronic, optical, and catalytic properties at the nanoscale. This study employs a combination of scanning probe microscopy techniques, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), to investigate the mechanisms of CO₂RR on vdW heterostructures. These advanced techniques enable high-resolution imaging of surface morphology, local electronic and optical characterization, and spatial mapping of chemical reactivity and electrochemical activity across the heterostructures. The integration of these SPM techniques provides additional insights into vibrational modes and localized electrochemical behavior, which influence catalytic activity at the nanoscale. The comprehensive characterization enabled by these methods offers a deeper understanding of the role of material interfaces, defects, and active sites in enhancing the catalytic performance of HER and CO₂RR.

Keywords: Scanning electrochemical microscopy, Two dimensional materials, Carbon dioxide reduction reaction, Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy