Boosting CO2 electroreduction towards C2+ products via CO* intermediate manipulation on copper-based catalysts
Abstract
Global warming due to greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly CO2, has become a serious concern globally. Accordingly, electrocatalytic CO2 conversion provides an environment-friendly approach to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. Copper (Cu) is one of the few metal catalysts that can convert CO2 to high-value multi-carbon products (C2+), and thus has received significant attention. In this review, we discuss the manipulation strategies to promote C–C coupling to form C2+ from the intermediate product CO* in terms of adsorption capability and configuration, surface coverage, and re-coupling efficiency on copper-based catalysts. In addition, some advanced characterization techniques to investigate the mechanism of C–C coupling in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) are summarized. Finally, the outlooks and future development directions of CO2RR are highlighted.
- This article is part of the themed collections: Environmental Science: Nano Recent Review Articles and SDG13: Climate Action- chemistry of greenhouse gases, 2022