Advancements in Understanding Catalyst Reconstruction During Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) has received great attention to solve CO₂- induced global warming and carbon neutrality. It is essential to enhance the electrochemical CO₂RR selectivity, activity, and long-term stability for sustainable manufacturing of specific chemicals via CO₂RR. To produce multi-carbon (C₂₊) chemicals, Cu-based heterogeneous catalysts have been developed in terms of defect engineering, morphological design, and facet control. Despite the substantial efforts for the design of efficient Cu-based heterogeneous catalysts, there exist inevitable structural changes of catalysts with continuous dissolution and redeposition during CO₂RR. This reconstruction modifies the as-synthesized catalysts into an unpredictable structure and leads to changes in active site. Here, we review the reconstruction of Cu-based catalysts during CO₂RR, which occurs via continuous dissolution and redeposition process. This includes fundamental principles of reconstruction and the effect of microenvironment on reconstruction during CO₂RR. We offer research progress about the reconstruction of Cu-based electrocatalysts, analysis methodologies to track the reconstruction, and the insight to improve the activity, selectivity, and stability of CO₂RR. We provide perspective to understand and harness the reconstruction for the development of efficient CO₂RR catalysts.