Electrochemical valorization of captured CO₂: recent advances and future perspectives

The excessive emission of CO₂ has led to severe climate change, prompting global concern. Capturing CO₂ and converting it through electrochemistry into value-added products represent promising approaches to mitigating CO₂ emissions and closing the carbon cycle. Traditionally, these two processes have been performed independently, involving multiple steps, high energy consumption, and low efficiency. Recently, the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂, which integrates the capture and conversion processes (also referred to as electrochemically reactive CO₂ capture), has garnered increasing attention. This integrated approach bypasses the energy-intensive steps involved in the traditional independent process, including CO₂ release, purification, compression, transportation, and storage. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂, focusing on four key aspects. First, we introduce various capture media, emphasizing the thermodynamic aspects of carbon capture and their implications for integration with electrochemical conversion. Second, we discuss product control mediated by the selection of different catalysts, highlighting the connections between the conversion of captured CO₂ and gas-fed CO₂. Third, we examine the effect of reactor systems and operational conditions on the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂, shedding light on performance optimization. Finally, we explore real integration systems for CO₂ capture and electrochemical conversion, revealing the potential of this new technology for practical applications. Overall, we provide insights into the existing challenges, potential solutions, and thoughts on opportunities and future directions in the emerging field of electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂.