Heterogeneous Catalysis for CO2 Conversion into Chemicals and Fuels

Catalytic conversion of CO2 into chemicals and fuels is a viable method to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. Through thermal catalysis, electrocatalysis, and photo(electro)catalysis, CO2 can be converted into a wide range of valuable products, including CO, formic acid, methanol, methane, ethanol, acetic acid, propanol, light olefins, aromatics, and gasoline, as well as fine chemicals. In this mini-review, we summarize the recent progress in heterogeneous catalysis for CO2 conversion into chemicals and fuels and highlight some representative studies of different conversion routes. The structure-performance correlations of typical catalytic materials used for the CO2 conversion reactions have been revealed by combining advanced in situ/operando spectroscopy and microscopy characterizations and density functional theory calculations. Catalytic selectivity toward a single CO2 reduction product/fraction should be further improved at an industrially relevant CO2 conversion rate with considerable stability in the future.(GRAPHICS)

Automated summary

Catalytic conversion of CO2 into chemicals and fuels is a method to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. This review summarizes the recent progress in this field and highlights studies on different conversion routes. The structure-performance correlations of catalytic materials have been revealed through spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Improving catalytic selectivity and stability is necessary in the future.