Reaction Environment Regulation for Electrocatalytic CO₂ Reduction in Acids

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) is key for a carbon-neutral economy, converting CO2 into valuable products.
• Current CO2RR in neutral/alkaline media suffers from bicarbonate formation and crossover, reducing efficiency.
• Acidic electrolytes suppress bicarbonate issues but face challenges in Faradaic efficiency and catalyst stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in acidic CO2RR technology.
• To explore strategies for regulating the cathode reaction environment.
• To discuss mechanisms, challenges, and future directions for practical CO2RR systems.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in acidic media.
• Analysis of electrocatalyst design, electrode modification, and electrolyte engineering strategies.
• Discussion of in situ/operando techniques and theoretical calculations for mechanistic insights.

Main Results:

• Acidic media can suppress unwanted side reactions like bicarbonate formation.
• Optimizing the reaction environment is crucial for enhancing CO2RR selectivity and efficiency.
• Electrocatalyst design and electrolyte engineering are key to improving performance and stability.

Conclusions:

• Effective regulation of the acidic CO2RR environment is essential for favoring CO2 conversion over hydrogen evolution.
• Further research into catalyst stability and C2+ product selectivity is needed.
• This review provides guidance for developing practical acidic CO2RR systems for carbon neutrality.