CO2 electrolysis toward acetate: A review

Storing renewable electricity from intermittent energy re-sources by turning waste CO2 into versatile chemicals is promising for sustainable energy economy. In this process, multi-carbon products, especially acetate, are hard to achieve due to the high energy barrier and low selectivity for C-C coupling. Targeting acetate as a CO2 electroreduction re-actions (CO2RR) end-product is perspective to reform the current acetate industry. Herein, we summarize the two major CO2-to-acetate routes: the direct route via CO2RR and the indirect one via CO reduction reaction (CORR). We firstly summarize reaction mechanisms for different routes; then discussed several categories of catalysts for acetate produc-tion via CO2RR or CORR. We also correlate the theoretical calculations and experimental results to better understand the catalyst design principles. Finally, challenges and opportunities in current established processes are proposed. We aim to build a systematic understanding of current CO2-to-acetate strate-gies and offer practical design guidelines for industrial CO2-to-acetate production.

Automated summary

Storing renewable electricity from intermittent energy sources by converting waste CO2 into versatile chemicals is a promising solution for a sustainable energy economy. However, the production of multi-carbon products, particularly acetate, faces challenges due to the high energy barrier and low selectivity in C-C coupling. This article summarizes the two major routes for CO2-to-acetate conversion: direct route via CO2 electroreduction reactions (CO2RR) and indirect route via CO reduction reaction (CORR). The mechanisms and catalysts for acetate production through these routes are discussed, along with the correlation between theoretical calculations and experimental results. The challenges and opportunities in current established processes are also addressed, aiming to provide practical design guidelines for industrial CO2-to-acetate production.