Emerging Carbon-Based Heterogeneous Catalysts for Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide into Value-Added Chemicals

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ provides a sustainable way to mitigate CO₂ emissions, as well as store intermittent electrical energy into chemicals. However, its slow kinetics and the lack of ability to control the products of the reaction inhibit its industrial applications. In addition, the immature mechanistic understanding of the reduction process makes it difficult to develop a selective, scalable, and stable electrocatalyst. Carbon-based materials are widely considered as a stable and abundant alternative to metals for catalyzing some of the key electrochemical reactions, including the CO₂ reduction reaction. In this context, recent research advances in the development of heterogeneous nanostructured carbon-based catalysts for electrochemical reduction of CO₂ are summarized. The leading factors for consideration in carbon-based catalyst research are discussed by analyzing the main challenges faced by electrochemical reduction of CO₂ . Then the emerging metal-free doped carbon and aromatic N-heterocycle catalysts for electrochemical reduction of CO₂ with an emphasis on the formation of multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates are discussed. Following that, the recent progress in metal-nitrogen-carbon structures as an extension of carbon-based catalysts is scrutinized. Finally, an outlook for the future development of catalysts as well as the whole electrochemical system for CO₂ reduction is provided.