Tandem devices for simultaneous CO2 reduction at the cathode and added-value products formation at the anode

The catalytic reduction of CO2 can be employed to face the increasing emission of greenhouse gases by industrial processes. Through its conversion, it is possible to obtain carbon-based molecules with a high economic value. Commonly, the oxidation reaction coupled to CO2 reduction is the oxygen evolution from water, which guarantees the flow of electrons and protons needed to the CO2 conversion. However, the oxygen evolution reaction has many disadvantages such as the negligible economic value of dioxygen and the high energetic requirements of the catalytic process. Few solutions to this issue have been proposed until now. The present review aims to analyze them, showing the impact of tandem reactions on the entire system. A detailed analysis of the oxidation processes is carried out with a particular focus on the catalysts employed and on the possibility of improving their performance, basing the discussion on the present literature. Future perspectives are here proposed, even looking at a more sustainable power generation for the electro-catalytic systems, since we believe this road will lead to a second generation of tandem catalytic reactions with high added-value products and a great impact in both economy and science.

Automated summary

The catalytic reduction of CO2 to obtain carbon-based molecules with high economic value faces challenges with the oxygen evolution reaction. Solutions to improve system performance through tandem reactions are explored, with a focus on catalysts and future sustainable power generation for electro-catalytic systems. This review aims to propose a more sustainable second generation of tandem catalytic reactions for high added-value products.