Electrocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction to Alcohols: Progress and Perspectives
Ying Long, Zhijie Chen, Lan Wu, Xiaoqing Liu, Yanan Hou, Sergio Vernuccio, Wei Wei, Wai‐Yeung Wong, Bing‐Jie Ni
Abstract
Utilizing renewable electricity for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2 into alcohols represents a promising avenue for generating value‐added fuels and achieving carbon neutrality. Recently, there has been growing scientific interest in achieving high‐efficiency conversion of CO 2 to alcohols, with significant advancements made in mechanism understanding, reactor design, catalyst development, and more. Herein, a thorough examination of the latest advances in electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to alcohols is provided. General mechanisms and pathways of electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2 ‐to‐alcohols are systematically illustrated. Subsequently, electrolyzer configurations, electrolytes, and electrocatalysts employed in CO 2 RR are summarized. After that, critical operating parameters (e.g., reaction pressure, temperature, and pH) that would significantly influence the CO 2 RR process are also analyzed. Finally, the review addresses challenges and offers perspectives in this field to guide future studies aimed at advancing CO 2 ‐to‐alcohols conversion technologies.