Catalyst Design and Engineering for CO2‐to‐Formic Acid Electrosynthesis for a Low‐Carbon Economy

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 36; no. 51; pp. e2404980 - n/a
• Main Authors: Peramaiah, Karthik, Yi, Moyu, Dutta, Indranil, Chatterjee, Sudipta, Zhang, Huabin, Lai, Zhiping, Huang, Kuo‐Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Ammonia; Carbon dioxide; catalyst design; Catalysts; Chemical reduction; CO2 reduction; electrocatalysis; Flammability; Formic acid; High temperature; Hydrogen storage; industrial scale‐up; Methylcyclohexane; Storage capacity
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404980

Formic acid (FA) has emerged as a promising candidate for hydrogen energy storage due to its favorable properties such as low toxicity, low flammability, and high volumetric hydrogen storage capacity under ambient conditions. Recent analyses have suggested that FA produced by electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction reaction (eCO2RR) using low‐carbon electricity exhibits lower fugitive hydrogen (H2) emissions and global warming potential (GWP) during the H2 carrier production, storage and transportation processes compared to those of other alternatives like methanol, methylcyclohexane, and ammonia. eCO2RR to FA can enable industrially relevant current densities without the need for high pressures, high temperatures, or auxiliary hydrogen sources. However, the widespread implementation of eCO2RR to FA is hindered by the requirement for highly stable and selective catalysts. Herein, the aim is to explore and evaluate the potential of catalyst engineering in designing stable and selective nanostructured catalysts that can facilitate economically viable production of FA. Electrochemical CO2 reduction to formic acid using low‐carbon electricity presents a promising pathway to produce an H2 energy carrier with minimal fugitive hydrogen emissions. However, for this process to become scalable, the development of highly stable and selective catalysts is essential. This article reviews and examines catalyst engineering approaches aimed at enabling economically viable solutions.