Recent Progress of Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Reaction Using Porous Materials

Abstract

The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 is widely recognized as a promising strategy to reduce carbon emissions. However, a huge gap remains between the current state of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR) technology and its practical implementation at an industrial scale. Thus, there is growing interest in developing electrocatalysts that offer high activity, selectivity, and stability. Crystalline porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and porous carbons have emerged as highly effective catalysts for electrocatalytic CO2RR. Furthermore, advancements in nanoscale characterization and computational modeling have enabled a deeper understanding of the structure and activity relationships in these materials, highlighting how characteristics of the materials influence the selectivity, catalytic activity, and mass transport efficiency for the electrocatalytic CO2RR. In this review, we summarize the fundamentals of electrocatalytic CO2RR, highlighting the role of porous materials such as MOFs, COFs, and porous carbon. We also discuss recent trends in the selective formation of different CO2RR products, including CO, HCOOH, CH4, and C2+ products. Key advancements in material design are presented along with challenges and future perspectives.