Regulation of the activity, selectivity, and durability of Cu-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

CO2 electroreduction offers a promising approach to alleviate global warming and reduce petroleum consumption simultaneously, due to its capability to convert the greenhouse gas CO2 to valuable fuels and chemicals by using renewable electricity. Electrocatalyst has an essential impact on the CO2 electroreduction performance. Among the diverse exploited materials, Cu is the only monometallic electrocatalyst that can produce CO and hydrocarbons. However, its activity, selectivity, and durability are not satisfactory for practical applications. Here, we make a comprehensive survey of the recent progress in enhancing Cu-based electrocatalysts with the strategies such as oxidation pre-treatment, heteroatom doping, morphological control, and surface modification. This review provides an overview of the current status and future opportunities for Cu-catalyzed CO2 electroreduction. It may contribute to the rational design of Cu-based electrocatalysts with improved performance and thus advance practical CO2 electrolyzer development.