Recent progress of the electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction using porous materials

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ is widely recognized as a promising strategy to reduce carbon emissions. However, a huge gap remains between the current state of electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) technology and its practical implementation at an industrial scale. Thus, there is growing interest in developing electrocatalysts that offer high activity, selectivity, and stability. Crystalline porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and porous carbons have emerged as highly effective catalysts for electrocatalytic CO₂RRs. Furthermore, advancements in nanoscale characterization and computational modeling have enabled a deeper understanding of the structure and activity relationships in these materials, highlighting how characteristics of the materials influence the selectivity, catalytic activity, and mass transport efficiency for the electrocatalytic CO₂RR. In this review, we summarize the fundamentals of electrocatalytic CO₂RRs, highlighting the role of porous materials such as MOFs, COFs, and porous carbon. We also discuss recent trends in the selective formation of different CO₂RR products, including CO, HCOOH, CH₄, and C₂⁺ products. Key advancements in material design are presented along with challenges and future perspectives.