Achievements and challenges of copper‐based single‐atom catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide to C2+ products

Abstract

Abstract Copper is the only metal that can convert CO2 into C2 and C2+ in electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR). However, the Faraday efficiency of CO2 conversion to C2 and C2+ products at high current densities is still low, which cannot meet the actual industrial demand. Here, the design methods of single‐atom copper catalysts (including regulating the coordination environment of single‐atom copper, modifying the carbon base surface and constructing diatomic Cu catalysts) are reviewed, and the current limitations and future research directions of copper‐based single‐atom catalysts are proposed, providing directions for the industrial conversion of CO2 into C2 and C2+ products.

Keywords

• active site
• carbon dioxide reduction
• Faraday efficiency
• single‐atom copper catalyst
• stability