One of the most effective ways to cope with the problems of global warming and the energy shortage crisis is to develop renewable and clean energy sources. To achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle, advanced carbon sequestration technologies are urgently needed, but because CO2 is a thermodynamically stable molecule with the highest carbon valence state of +4, this process faces many challenges. In recent years, electrochemical CO2 reduction has become a promising approach to fix and convert CO2 into high-value-added fuels and chemical feedstock. However, the large-scale commercial use of electrochemical CO2 reduction systems is hindered by poor electrocatalyst activity, large overpotential, low energy conversion efficiency, and product selectivity in reducing CO2 . Therefore, there is an urgent need to rationally design highly efficient, stable, and scalable electrocatalysts to alleviate these problems. This minireview also aims to classify heterogeneous nanostructured electrocatalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CDRR).
Keywords: activity; electrocatalysis; electrochemical CO2 reduction; nanostructured catalysts; selectivity.
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