Customizing catalyst surface/interface structures for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Abstract

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) provides a promising route to converting CO₂ into value-added chemicals and to neutralizing the greenhouse gas emission. For the industrial application of CO₂RR, high-performance electrocatalysts featuring high activities and selectivities are essential. It has been demonstrated that customizing the catalyst surface/interface structures allows for high-precision control over the microenvironment for catalysis as well as the adsorption/desorption behaviors of key reaction intermediates in CO₂RR, thereby elevating the activity, selectivity and stability of the electrocatalysts. In this paper, we review the progress in customizing the surface/interface structures for CO₂RR electrocatalysts (including atomic-site catalysts, metal catalysts, and metal/oxide catalysts). From the perspectives of coordination engineering, atomic interface design, surface modification, and hetero-interface construction, we delineate the resulting specific alterations in surface/interface structures, and their effect on the CO₂RR process. At the end of this review, we present a brief discussion and outlook on the current challenges and future directions for achieving high-efficiency CO₂RR via surface/interface engineering.