Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 on Copper-Based Catalysts

The increasing greenhouse gas CO2 emission poses a potential threat to global climate. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) to useful chemical products, an artificial way of carbon recycling, opens up new possibilities of utilization of CO2 and represents one promising solution that significantly improve the environment and promotes sustainable development. However, it remains a challenge to convert CO2 to valued products with high efficiency and selectivity while suppressing the H-2 evolution (HER) side reaction. Copper attracts considerable attention currently because it displays interesting electrocatalytic performances for the reduction of CO2. Progress related to the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 in the past few years, and their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed, and thermodynamics and kinetics research of CO2RR is described, with a focus on the progress in CO2RR on copper-based electrodes, which includes Cu electrode, Cu metal organic frameworks electrode and Cu-based electrodes modified by oxidation, alloying, nanocrystalization and surface modification, even if the CO2 electrocatalytic reduction reaction mechanism remains uncertain. Finally, challenges and future research opportunities for tuning the selective conversion of CO2 on copper -based catalysts with high efficiency are also discussed.