CO2 reduction: the quest for electrocatalytic materials

Abstract

Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) are of significant concern in modern society, as they lead to global warming and consequential environmental and societal changes. It is of importance to develop industries with a zero or negative CO₂ footprint. Electrochemistry, where one of the reagents is electrons, is an environmentally clean technology that is capable of addressing the conversion of CO₂ to value-added products. The key factor in the process is the use of catalytic electrode materials that lead to the desired reaction and product. Significant progress in this field has been achieved in the past two years. This review discusses the progress in the development of electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction achieved during this time period.