Atomically precise metal nanoclusters for (photo)electroreduction of CO2: Recent advances, challenges and opportunities

To alleviate the global warming by removing excess CO2 and converting them into value-added chemicals, (photo)electrochemical reduction has been recognized as a promising strategy. As the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is involved with multiple electrons and multiple products, plus the complexity of the surface chemical environment of the catalyst, it is extremely challenging to establish the structure/function relationship. Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs), with crystallographically resolved structure, molecule-like characters and strong quantum confinement effects, have been emerging as a new type of catalyst for CO2RR, and more importantly, they can provide an ideal platform to unravel the comprehensive mechanistic insights and establish the structure/function relationship eventually. In this review, the recent advances regarding employing molecular metal NCs with well-defined structure including Au NCs, Au-based alloy NCs, Ag NCs, Cu NCs for CO2RR and relevant mechanistic studies are discussed, and the opportunities and challenges are proposed at the end for paving the development of CO2RR by using atomically precise metal NCs. (C) 2020 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

(Photo)electrochemical reduction is recognized as a promising strategy to alleviate global warming by converting excess CO2 into value-added chemicals. Atomically precise metal nanoclusters have shown great potential as a new type of catalyst for CO2RR, offering insights into the mechanism and structure/function relationship.