Electrochemical CO2 Reduction in the Presence of Impurities: Influences and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

The electrochemical conversion of waste CO₂ into useful fuels and chemical products is a promising approach to reduce CO₂ emissions; however, several challenges still remain to be addressed. Thus far, most CO₂ reduction studies use pure CO₂ as the gas reactant, but CO₂ emissions typically contain a number of gas impurities, such as nitrogen oxides, oxygen gas, and sulfur oxides. Gas impurities in CO₂ can pose a significant obstacle for efficient CO₂ electrolysis because they can influence the reaction and catalyst. This Minireview highlights early examples of CO₂ reduction studies using mixed-gas feeds, explores strategies to sustain CO₂ reduction in the presence of gas impurities, and discusses their implications for future progress in this emerging field.

Keywords: CO2 Reduction; Direct Utilization; Electrocatalysis; Gas Impurities.