Progress of electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 on metal-based materials

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to valuable fuels and chemicals has great potential in mitigating global warming and effectively storing renewable energy, which has received extensive attention in recent years. Herein, first of all, this review briefly describes the research results of the reaction pathways of CO2 electrochemical reduction to different products in aqueous solutions. Currently, the generation pathways of simple C1 products are relatively clear, but the reaction pathways for multi-carbon hydrocarbons and alcohols generation are still unclear, which needs further exploration. Then, the recent advances of metal-based electrocatalytic materials for CO2 electrochemical reduction is described. Focusing on product selectivity, catalytic activity and stability, this review presents the research status of nanostructured metals, metal alloys, metal oxides, metal complexes, and single atomic metal materials. Finally, the prospect of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction is proposed. It points out that continuously optimizing the performance of electrocatalytic materials is one of the main directions in future research, especially the single atomic catalysts, which are expected to replace Au, Ag and other precious metals, as well as the copper-based materials that can efficiently produce multi-carbon products. Meanwhile, the in-depth exploration of the mechanism of CO2 electrochemical reduction reactions based on more accurate theoretical calculations combined with in-situ spectral characterizations will greatly promote the development of highly efficient electrocatalytic materials. © 2021, Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd. All right reserved.