Anionic Coordination Control in Building Cu-Based Electrocatalytic Materials for CO₂ Reduction Reaction.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a sustainable route to convert CO2 into valuable products, aiding carbon neutrality.
• Developing efficient and selective catalysts, particularly copper-based ones, remains a challenge due to complex reaction pathways and sluggish kinetics.
• Anionic coordination is an emerging strategy to tune the performance of CO2RR catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in copper-based CO2RR catalysts modified by anionic coordination.
• To elucidate the mechanisms by which anionic coordination influences catalytic activity and selectivity.
• To discuss the role of various non-metallic anions in enhancing CO2RR performance.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent research on anionic coordination in Cu-based CO2RR catalysts.
• Analysis of reaction mechanisms and functional principles.
• Evaluation of the impact of different non-metallic anions on catalytic outcomes.

Main Results:

• Anionic coordination effectively modulates active sites and promotes beneficial structural reconstruction in copper catalysts.
• Specific non-metallic anions demonstrate significant improvements in selectivity and efficiency for CO2RR.
• Understanding the interplay between anions and copper species is crucial for catalyst design.

Conclusions:

• Anionic coordination is a powerful strategy for developing high-performance Cu-based CO2RR electrocatalysts.
• Further research is needed to fully exploit this strategy for industrial applications.
• Personal insights and future perspectives on anionic coordination for CO2RR are provided.