Bioinspired Hydrophobicity for Enhancing Electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction
Jingwen Bai, Wenshuo Wang, Jian Liu
Abstract
Abstract Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 R) is a promising pathway for converting greenhouse gasses into valuable fuels and chemicals using intermittent renewable energy. Enormous efforts have been invested in developing and designing CO 2 R electrocatalysts suitable for industrial applications at accelerated reaction rates. The microenvironment, specifically the local CO 2 concentration (local [CO 2 ]) as well as the water and ion transport at the CO 2 –electrolyte–catalyst interface, also significantly impacts the current density, Faradaic efficiency (FE), and operation stability. In nature, hydrophobic surfaces of aquatic arachnids trap appreciable amounts of gases due to the “plastron effect”, which could inspire the reliable design of CO 2 R catalysts and devices to enrich gaseous CO 2 . In this review, starting from the wettability modulation, we summarize CO 2 enrichment strategies to enhance CO 2 R. To begin, superwettability systems in nature and their inspiration for concentrating CO 2 in CO 2 R are described and discussed. Moreover, other CO 2 enrichment strategies, compatible with the hydrophobicity modulation, are explored from the perspectives of catalysts, electrolytes, and electrolyzers, respectively. Finally, a perspective on the future development of CO 2 enrichment strategies is provided. We envision that this review could provide new guidance for further developments of CO 2 R toward practical applications.