Potential Link between Cu Surface and Selective CO2 Electroreduction: Perspective on Future Electrocatalyst Designs

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) product distribution has been identified to be dependent on various surface factors, including the Cu facet, morphology, chemical states, doping, etc., which can alter the binding strength of key intermediates such as *CO and *OCCO during reduction. Therefore, in‐depth knowledge of the Cu catalyst surface and identification of the active species under reaction conditions aid in designing efficient Cu‐based electrocatalysts. This progress report categorizes various Cu‐based electrocatalysts into four main groups, namely metallic Cu, Cu alloys, Cu compounds (Cu + non‐metal), and supported Cu‐based catalysts (Cu supported by carbon, metal oxides, or polymers). The detailed mechanisms for the selective CO2RR are presented, followed by recent relevant developments on the synthetic procedures for preparing Cu and Cu‐based nanoparticl…