Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (4): 527-544.doi: 10.1007/s40242-023-3001-9

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Recent Advances in CO2 Reduction Reaction to Value-added C1 Products by Single-atom Catalysts

LI Boyang1, OU Honghui2, CHEN Shenghua1,2, SU Ya-Qiong1, WANG Dingsheng2   

  1. 1. School of Chemistry, National Innovation Platform(Center) for IndustryEducation Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Materials Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China;
    2. Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
  • Received:2023-01-02 Online:2023-08-01 Published:2023-07-18
  • Contact: CHEN Shenghua, SU Ya-Qiong, WANG Dingsheng E-mail:shenghchen@163.com;yqsu1989@xjtu.edu.cn;wangdingsheng@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No. 2018YFA0702003), the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos. 21890383, 22171157, and 52002249), the "Young Talent Support Plan" of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China and the Open Funds of State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces of Xiamen University, China(No.202018).

Abstract: The CO2reduction reaction driven by sustainable electrical energy to value-added hydrocarbons is highly attractive because it can address both energy and environmental issues. The precise and rational development of corresponding electrocatalysts is of great importance to these kinds of reactions. Single-atom catalysts with unique electronic structures and coordination environments have become promising candidates, which may offer enhanced electrocatalytic performance. Herein, we summarize the recent development in the efficient fabrication of single-atom catalysts and their further application in CO2 reduction. The various strategies for SACs preparation and characterization methods are highlighted to give a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between metal active sites and catalytic ability. The reaction mechanisms of electronic CO2 reduction over single-atom catalysts are elaborated. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the implementation of single-atom catalysts in CO2 reduction are discussed.

Key words: CO2 reduction, Single-atom catalyst, Electrocatalysis