Emerging Cu‐Based Tandem Catalytic Systems for CO2 Electroreduction to Multi‐Carbon Products

Abstract

Abstract Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to valuable chemicals and feedstocks through electrochemical reduction holds promise for achieving carbon neutrality and mitigating global warming. C2+ products are of interest due to their higher economic value. Since the CO2 to C2+ conversion process involves multiple steps, tandem catalytic strategies are commonly employed in the design of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) catalysts and systems/reactors. Among the diverse catalysts that are capable of reducing CO2 to CO, Cu stands out for more efficiently further converting CO to C2+ products. In this review, the emerging Cu‐based tandem catalysts and their impact on CO2RR performance, focusing on three positional relationships are summarized. It delves into the integration of tandem catalytic strategies into membrane electrolyzers, utilizing catalyst‐coated substrate (CCS) and catalyst‐coated membrane (CCM) technologies. Several typical examples are presented to illustrate this integration. Finally, the challenges and prospects of applying tandem strategies in the development of CO2RR catalysts/systems, as well as their device‐level implementation are indicated.

Keywords

• CO2 reduction reaction
• copper
• membrane electrode assembly
• multi‐carbons
• tandem catalytic systems