Recent development of nanomaterials for carbon dioxide electroreduction

Abstract

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to produce value‐added products has received tremendous research attention in recent years. With research efforts across the globe, remarkable advancement has been achieved, including the improvement of selectivity for the reduction products, the realization of efficient reduction beyond two electrons, and the delivery of industrially relevant current densities. In this review, we introduce the recent development of nanomaterials for CO2RR, including the zero‐dimensional graphene quantum dots, two‐dimensional materials such as metal chalcogenides and metal/covalent organic framework, single‐atom catalysts, and nanostructured metal catalysts. The engineering of materials into three‐dimensional structure will also be discussed. Finally, we will provide a summary of the catalytic performance and perspectives on future development.

Plasmonic Photocatalysis for CO2 Reduction: Advances, Understanding and Possibilities

“…Upon resonant excitation of plasmonic metal nanostructures, plasmons relax within tens of femtoseconds, which makes a majority of the as‐generated hot carriers recombine before migrating to surface‐active‐sites for the redox reaction. With the combination of the plasmonic metal nanostructures with a semiconductor with a suitable band structure, a Schottky junction would be formed at the metal/semiconductor interface which could lead to a built‐in‐field to inhibit the recombination of the hot carriers, prolonging their lifetime and ultimately promoting the photocatalytic reaction [75,76] . As a supporter, the semiconductor would also act to immobilize and stabilize the plasmonic metal nanostructures, preventing the nanostructures from the agglomeration and the structural transformation during the photocatalytic reaction, which is in turn beneficial to improving the stability [77] .…”

“…With the combination of the plasmonic metal nanostructures with a semiconductor with a suitable band structure, a Schottky junction would be formed at the metal/semiconductor interface which could lead to a built-in-field to inhibit the recombination of the hot carriers, prolonging their lifetime and ultimately promoting the photocatalytic reaction. [75,76] As a supporter, the semiconductor would also act to immobilize and stabilize the plasmonic metal nanostructures, preventing the nanostructures from the agglomeration and the structural transformation during the photocatalytic reaction, which is in turn beneficial to improving the stability. [77] In addition, in such composite plasmonic metal-semiconductor photocatalysts, the semiconductor supporters provide the active sites for the CO 2 RR reaction.…”

Research progress on single atom and particle synergistic catalysts for electrocatalytic reactions

“…The ever-increasing emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO 2 have exacerbated the challenges brought by global warming and energy shortages to human society. [188][189][190] Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR, CO 2 (g) + 2H + + 2e À -CO(g) + H 2 O or CO 2 (g) + 2H + + 2e À -HCOOOH(l), etc.) by converting CO 2 into fuel or value-added chemicals is a bright strategy to promote the global carbon balance and combat global climate change.…”

MXene-Based Photocatalysts and Electrocatalysts for CO2 Conversion to Chemicals

“…Notably, the reduction process of CO 2 involves different electron transfers, ranging from two electrons for CO and formic acid (HCOOH) to 18 electrons for propanol. These differences seem problematic because the reduction potentials of these processes are adjacent to each other, which makes selectivity toward a single product low [1]. Much research has been devoted to understanding fundamental CO 2 activation and reduction mechanisms in different electrocatalysts to explore the critical parameters influencing the efficiency and selectivity of ECR products.…”

“…Excessive emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the burning of fossil fuels have led to serious and potentially irreversible impacts on climate and the environment, such as global warming, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and glacial ablation. As the atmospheric CO 2 concentration is predicted to increase from 404 × 10 -6 in 2017 to 600 × 10 -6 by 2100, an urgent need has arisen to reduce the carbon footprint generated by human activities [1,2]. To mitigate this ever-growing CO 2 concentration, significant efforts have been dedicated to developing different technologies, including CO 2 capture and storage, suppression of CO 2 emission at the source, and direct CO 2 conversion into value-added fuels and chemicals.…”