Issue 14, 2023

Retrospective insights into recent MXene-based catalysts for CO2 electro/photoreduction: how far have we gone?

Abstract

The electro/photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a long-term avenue toward synthesizing renewable fuels and value-added chemicals, as well as addressing the global energy crisis and environmental challenges. As a result, current research studies have focused on investigating new materials and implementing numerous fabrication approaches to increase the catalytic performances of electro/photocatalysts toward the CO2RR. MXenes, also known as 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, are intriguing materials with outstanding traits. Since their discovery in 2011, there has been a flurry of interest in MXenes in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, owing to their several benefits, including high mechanical strength, tunable structure, surface functionality, high specific surface area, and remarkable electrical conductivity. Herein, this review serves as a milestone for the most recent development of MXene-based catalysts for the electrocatalytic and photocatalytic CO2RR. The overall structure of MXenes is described, followed by a summary of several synthesis pathways classified as top-down and bottom-up approaches, including HF-etching, in situ HF-formation, electrochemical etching, and halogen etching. Additionally, the state-of-the-art development in the field of both the electrocatalytic and photocatalytic CO2RR is systematically reviewed. Surface termination modulation and heterostructure engineering of MXene-based electro/photocatalysts, and insights into the reaction mechanism for the comprehension of the structure–performance relationship from the CO2RR via density functional theory (DFT) have been underlined toward activity enhancement. Finally, imperative issues together with future perspectives associated with MXene-based electro/photocatalysts are proposed.

Graphical abstract: Retrospective insights into recent MXene-based catalysts for CO2 electro/photoreduction: how far have we gone?

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
14 אוק 2022
Accepted
27 פבר 2023
First published
03 מרץ 2023

Nanoscale, 2023,15, 6536-6562

Retrospective insights into recent MXene-based catalysts for CO2 electro/photoreduction: how far have we gone?

X. Tan, W. Mo, X. Lin, J. Y. Loh, A. R. Mohamed and W. Ong, Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 6536 DOI: 10.1039/D2NR05718B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements