Cu-based catalyst designs in CO2 electroreduction: precise modulation of reaction intermediates for high-value chemical generation

• Published in: Chemical science (Cambridge) Vol. 14; no. 47; pp. 13629 - 13660
• Main Authors: Xie, Liangyiqun, Jiang, Yujing, Zhu, Wenlei, Ding, Shichao, Zhou, Yang, Jun-Jie, Zhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 06.12.2023
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Catalysts; Greenhouse gases; Modulation; Reaction intermediates; Renewable energy sources; State-of-the-art reviews
• ISSN: 2041-6520; 2041-6539
• DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04353c

The massive emission of excess greenhouse gases (mainly CO2) have an irreversible impact on the Earth's ecology. Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (ECR), a technique that utilizes renewable energy sources to create highly reduced chemicals (e.g. C2H4, C2H5OH), has attracted significant attention in the science community. Cu-based catalysts have emerged as promising candidates for ECR, particularly in producing multi-carbon products that hold substantial value in modern industries. The formation of multi-carbon products involves a range of transient intermediates, the behaviour of which critically influences the reaction pathway and product distribution. Consequently, achieving desirable products necessitates precise regulation of these intermediates. This review explores state-of-the-art designs of Cu-based catalysts, classified into three categories based on the different prospects of the intermediates' modulation: heteroatom doping, morphological structure engineering, and local catalytic environment engineering. These catalyst designs enable efficient multi-carbon generation in ECR by effectively modulating reaction intermediates.