Direct Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ to C₂₊ Chemicals: Catalysts, Microenvironments, and Mechanistic Understanding

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction reaction of CO2 (eCO2RR) to chemicals presents a viable solution for addressing climate change and sustainable manufacturing. In this Review, we describe the recent advancements in eCO2RR for multicarbon (C2+) chemicals production from the aspects of catalyst structure, reaction microenvironments, and mechanistic understanding. We draw experimental and theoretical comparisons between the catalyst systems containing bulk and highly dispersed metals, alloys, and metal compounds and recount new results of microenvironmental impacts as well as the catalytic mechanism. From our own recent studies, we offer some viewpoints on the electrocatalytic mechanism during complex multistep proton-coupled electron transfers and propose several research directions in unlocking the full potential of eCO2RR as a scalable industrial solution for CO2-to-C2+ conversion.