Single-Atom Electrocatalysts for Multi-Electron Reduction of CO₂

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Multi-electron reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to hydrocarbons or alcohols is crucial for a sustainable energy economy.
• Single-atom electrocatalysts (SAECs) show promise due to their defined structures and electronic properties for high activity and selectivity.
• Current reviews lack focus on SAECs for CO2 electroreduction and urgent perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize recent advances in designing efficient SAECs for multi-electron CO2 reduction.
• To emphasize strategies for regulating active site interactions with reaction intermediates.
• To provide constructive perspectives on this emerging field.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on SAECs for CO2 electroreduction.
• Analysis of design strategies focusing on active site-intermediate interactions.
• Discussion of various catalyst designs: metal centers, single-atom alloys, non-metal SAECs, and tandem catalysts.

Main Results:

• Design strategies focus on optimizing interactions between active sites and key intermediates for efficient multi-electron CO2 reduction.
• Various approaches, including metal center regulation, single-atom alloys, non-metal SAECs, and tandem catalysts, are effective.
• These strategies are crucial for maximizing catalytic performance in CO2 electroreduction.

Conclusions:

• SAECs are vital for efficient multi-electron CO2 reduction.
• Optimizing active site-intermediate interactions is key to catalyst design.
• Further research is needed to address challenges and explore opportunities in deep CO2 electroreduction.