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Fundamentals, On-Going Advances and Challenges of Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction

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Abstract

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (ECR) is an attractive pathway to synthesize useful fuels and chemical feedstocks, especially when paired with renewable electricity as the energy source. In this overview, we examine the recently witnessed advances and on-going pursuits of ECR in terms of the key fundamental mechanisms, basic experimentation principles, electrocatalysts and the electrochemical setup for ECR, aiming at offering timely key insights into solving the unsettled bottleneck issues. The reaction pathways are discussed in relation to the generation of single-, double- and multi-carbon products by the ECR, as well as the underlying principles in catalyst design to form them both efficiently and selectively. For the rational design of electrocatalysis, we look into the critically important roles played by various in situ and operando experimental techniques and computational simulations, where the key priorities are to engineer the highly active and selective ECR catalysts for the specifically targeted products. Indeed, with the purposely designed high activity and selectivity, one would be able to “magically” transform a bottle of CO2-riched “coke drink” to a glass of “beer” with the desired alcohol product in a layman term, instead of a bottle of formic acid. Nonetheless, there are still considerable complications and challenges ahead. As a dynamically rapid-advancing research frontier for both energy and the environment, there are great opportunities and obstacles in the ECR scale up.

Graphic Abstract

Electrochemical CO2 reduction, where the “spirit” is brewing on electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. With the designed catalytic activity and selectivity, one would be able to magically transform a bottle of CO2-riched “coke” into a glass of “beer”.

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Fig. 1

Adapted with permission from Ref. [10]. Copyright © 2020, Springer Nature

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Adapted with permission from Refs. [13, 74,75,76]. Copyright © 2018, IOP Publishing. Copyright © 2019, Springer Nature. Copy right © 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry. Copyright © 2020, Springer Nature

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Copyright © 2020, Springer Nature. Reproduction with permission from Ref. [13]. g Schematic of carbon intermediates that are confined in the nanocavities, which locally protect the copper oxidation state during ECR. White—hydrogen; gray—carbon; red—oxygen; violet—copper. Adapted with permission from Ref. [171]. Copyright©2020, American Chemical Society

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge the support of the Green Energy Programme (R284-000-185-731) supported by the National University of Singapore, and the Tier 1 Grant (R284-000-193-114), supported by MOE for research conducted at the National University of Singapore.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117574, Singapore

    Zongkui Kou, Xin Li, Yuanyuan Ma, Wenjie Zang & John Wang

  2. Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China

    Tingting Wang

  3. Industrial Research Institute of Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, College of Textiles and Clothing, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, China

    Guangdi Nie

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  6. Guangdi Nie
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Correspondence to Tingting Wang or John Wang.

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Kou, Z., Li, X., Wang, T. et al. Fundamentals, On-Going Advances and Challenges of Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction. Electrochem. Energy Rev. 5, 82–111 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-021-00096-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-021-00096-5

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