Progress in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 on Hierarchical Dendritic Metal Electrodes

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (ERC) is a promising way to deal with CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, recycle CO2, and achieve a carbon-neutral economy. Electrodes made of hierarchical dendritic materials are investigated for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 due to their structural advantages, including large surface areas, presence of facets with low-coordinated atoms and needle-like tips. Selected examples are presented to illustrate the state-of-the-art investigation of these dendritic electrodes. The mechanisms and the function of the dendritic structure are discussed, combined with a comparison of ERC performance results.