Single-atom catalysts for selective electrochemical CO₂ reduction to C₂ products

Area of Science:

• Catalysis, electrochemistry, materials science, and environmental chemistry.
• Focus on electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR).

Background:

• Converting CO2 into valuable chemicals is crucial for carbon neutrality.
• Producing multi-carbon products from CO2 is challenging due to complex proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) steps and selectivity control.
• Single atom catalysts (SACs) offer unique advantages for CO2 conversion due to their atomically dispersed metal centers and tunable electronic structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review recent advances in SACs for CO2 conversion.
• To highlight how SACs design influences product selectivity, especially for challenging C2 products.
• To provide guidance for developing efficient and durable SACs for CO2 reduction.

Main Methods:

• Introduction to SACs fundamentals, advantages, and design strategies.
• Discussion of catalytic mechanisms of CO2 on SACs.
• Presentation of representative examples of engineered SACs for electrochemical CO2 reduction and their design principles.

Main Results:

• SACs design significantly impacts product selectivity in CO2 reduction reactions.
• Engineered SACs demonstrate enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability for CO2 electroreduction.
• Specific design principles for novel SACs are elucidated, guiding performance optimization.

Conclusions:

• SACs are highly promising for efficient electrochemical CO2 conversion into high-value chemicals.
• Further research is needed to address current challenges and limitations in SACs development.
• Future opportunities lie in creating durable and highly active catalytic platforms for CO2 conversion.