Metal-Nitrogen-Carbon Catalysts for Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction: From Design to Industrial Applications

Abstract

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (eCO₂RR) offers a promising route for converting CO₂ into value-added chemicals and fuels using renewable electricity. Developing efficient, stable, and scalable catalysts is key to advancing this technology for commercialization. As non-precious metal catalysts, transition metal-nitrogen-doped carbon (M-N-C) materials have demonstrated excellent catalytic performance due to their tunable electronic structure, high activity, and structural stability. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of our group’s work in designing and optimizing M-N-C catalysts for eCO₂RR, focusing on metal site engineering, carbon substrate modification, and heteroatom doping strategies to enhance electrocatalytic efficiency and selectivity. We have also discussed the challenges and progresses in scaling up M-N-C catalysts synthesis, integrating M-N-C materials into membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers, and employing tandem electrocatalytic systems to achieve multi-carbon products. Comparisons between tandem catalysts and tandem electrolyzers based on M-N-C materials are presented. The potential of coupling eCO₂RR with thermocatalysis for producing other high-value products is also briefly discussed. We envision that M-N-C catalysts based eCO₂RR will offer a viable pathway for cost-effective CO₂ utilization, while future research may focus on demonstrating long-term stability in large-scale electrolyzers and development of efficient tandem reactor systems to further validate the commercialization potential.