Metal-Organic Frameworks-Based Copper Catalysts for CO₂ Electroreduction Toward Multicarbon Products

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction to C2+ products is crucial but limited by C-C coupling energy barriers.
• Copper (Cu) is a promising catalyst, but its performance needs enhancement for practical applications.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable platforms to modify Cu catalysts for improved CO2 conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the design principles, mechanisms, and achievements of MOF-based Cu catalysts for CO2-to-C2+ conversion.
• To provide insights into engineering Cu catalysts using MOFs for efficient CO2 reduction.
• To guide future research in developing advanced MOF-based Cu catalysts.

Main Methods:

• Summarizing design strategies for MOF-based Cu catalysts, focusing on electronic property engineering, local environment regulation, and site/mass transport management.
• Reviewing recent progress in CO2 reduction to C2+ products using various MOF-based Cu catalyst architectures (Cu-based MOF, MOF-derived Cu, Cu@MOF).
• Analyzing catalytic mechanisms and performance achievements of these advanced catalysts.

Main Results:

• MOFs effectively modify Cu catalysts' electronic structure and local environment, promoting CO2-to-C2+ selectivity.
• Different MOF-based Cu catalyst designs, including Cu-based MOFs, MOF-derived Cu, and Cu@MOF hybrids, show significant advancements.
• Tailoring MOF compositions and pore architectures is key to overcoming CO2 reduction challenges.

Conclusions:

• MOF-based Cu catalysts represent a promising strategy for efficient electrochemical CO2-to-C2+ conversion.
• Further innovation in rational catalyst design is needed to optimize performance and achieve practical thresholds.
• Future research should focus on advanced MOF-Cu catalyst systems for sustainable CO2 utilization.