Cobalt-based tripodal complexes as molecular catalysts for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction

Construction of artificial photosynthetic systems including CO₂ reduction is a promising pathway to produce carbon-neutral fuels and mitigate the greenhouse effect concurrently. However, the exploitation of earth-abundant catalysts for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction remains a fundamental challenge, which can be assisted by a systematic summary focusing on a specific catalyst family. Cobalt-based complexes featuring tripodal ligands should merit more insightful discussion and summarization, as they are one of the most examined catalyst families for CO₂ photoreduction. In this feature article, the key developments of cobalt-based tripodal complexes as molecular catalysts for light-driven CO₂ reduction are discussed to offer an upcoming perspective, analyzing the present progress in electronic/steric tuning through ligand modification and dinuclear design to achieve a synergistic effect, as well as the bottlenecks for further development.