Metal-based electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to formic acid/formate

The rapid increase of CO2 content in the atmosphere has caused serious environmental concern. To effectively alleviate the issue, it is of great significance to use electrocatalytic technology to convert CO2 into high value-added energy materials. In this minireview, we present the recent progress in the development of metal-based electrocatalysts for the electrocatalysis of CO2 to formic acid/formate. Firstly, we briefly study the possible reaction pathways and mechanisms of electrochemical reduction of CO2. Secondly, the emerging development of different types of metal-based electrocatalysts (homogeneous catalysts and heterogeneous catalysts) as high-performance catalysts is reviewed for improving process efficiency and productivity. Based on the insights, we summarize the current challenges and the future research directions of metal-based materials for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2.