Practices for the collection and reporting of electrocatalytic performance and mechanistic information for the CO2 reduction reaction

The complexities of the physical and analytical chemistry surrounding the CO2 reduction reaction introduce significant challenges to how appropriate catalysts can be designed. This perspective describes the important factors to consider when analyzing the performance of catalysts and reaction mechanisms for the CO2 reduction reaction in aqueous electrolytes. It focuses on the practical aspects of experimental design and instrumentation that are required for the accurate study of these complex reactions. We discuss the common figures-of-merit and suggest appropriate methods for analyzing and reporting experimental data, such that comparisons between research reports can be more easily drawn. In addition, we highlight notable instances of applications of our suggested practices that already exist in the literature in order to emphasize the excellent work that is being performed in the field.