Design of pre-catalysts for heterogeneous CO2 electrochemical reduction. Issue 35 (13th August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Jingfu; Wu, Chenghui; Li, Yanming; Li, Changli
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 9:Issue 35(2021)
• Page Start: 19508
• Page End: 19533
• Publication Date: 2021-08-13
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ta03624f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : This work reviews the recent advances of pre-catalysts for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) research. The important factors that may be responsible for the improvement of the CO2 RR performance are categorized and a perspective is also presented. Abstract : CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) is one of the most promising methods to alleviate the global challenge of climate change and energy supply. Metal catalysts such as copper, gold, silver, tin, bismuth, etc., attract great attention for their high efficiency to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals such as CO, HCOOH, C2 H4 and C2 H5 OH. It is of interest that the unstable metal-based compounds can be considered as pre-catalysts due to the in situ formation of a metallic state during CO2 RR, resulting in a reconstruction of surface catalytic structures that mediate much higher CO2 RR activity than their metal foil counterparts. However, the precise evolution process of the catalysts during CO2 RR and ultimate active sites of the catalyst have not been fully tracked and determined. In this review, we summarize the recent development of metal oxides, metal dichalcogenides, metal halides, metal nitrides and metal–organic compound pre-catalysts, and focus on the structural evolution during the activation process. The key structural factors that impact the performance of catalysts are analyzed in-depth in terms of the remnant of anion elements, enhanced surface areas, facet orientation, and grain boundaries. A perspective is also provided to tackle the critical challenges in designing highly efficient CO2 RR pre-catalysts, including the manipulation and identification of surface roughness, structure disorder and partial oxidation of metal center, the monitoring and regeneration of catalysts under a long-time operation, the elimination of impurities during operation and fine control of multicomponent for structural regulation.