Insight Into Heterogeneous Electrocatalyst Design Understanding for the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

The carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising route to convert CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels by utilizing renewable electrical energy, mitigating the greenhouse effect and depletion of fossil fuels for sustainability. Electrocatalyst plays a critical role in CO2RR whereas their rational design for achieving high activity, durability, and selectivity toward specific products confronts great challenge. In this review, rational CO2RR electrocatalyst design as well as essential understanding of nanomaterials in atomic-, nanoscale-, and microscale-level are highlighted. Besides, basic concepts and setup factors related to CO2RR are systematically outlined to provide a clear and comprehensive understanding as guidance. More importantly, the authors discuss and try to uncover the electrocatalyst structure-function relationship with the assistance of electrokinetic studies, in situ characterizations, and computational techniques. Finally, current challenges and prospects are offered to shed light on future design of advanced CO2RR electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

This review focuses on the rational design of CO2RR electrocatalysts and the basic understanding of nanomaterials in CO2RR. The structure-function relationship of electrocatalysts is discussed with the assistance of electrokinetic studies, in situ characterizations, and computational techniques. Current challenges and future prospects are offered for the design of advanced CO2RR electrocatalysts.