Catalyst–electrolyte interface chemistry for electrochemical CO 2 reduction

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 stores intermittent renewable energy in valuable raw materials, such as chemicals and transportation fuels, while minimizing carbon emissions and promoting carbon-neutral cycles. Recent technoeconomic reports suggested economically feasible target products of CO2 electroreduction and the relative influence of key performance parameters such as faradaic efficiency (FE), current density, and overpotential in the practical industrial-scale applications. Furthermore, fundamental factors, such as available reaction pathways, shared intermediates, competing hydrogen evolution reaction, scaling relations of the intermediate binding energies, and CO2 mass transport limitations, should be considered in relation to the electrochemical CO2 reduction performance. Intensive research efforts have been devoted to designing and developing advanced electrocatalysts an…