Electric Double Layer Structure in Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Abstract

Environmental degradation and climate change caused by excessive CO2 emissions have become the most serious challenges facing humanity. The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an ideal way to produce high‐value chemicals and solve environmental pollution at the same time. The electric double layer (EDL) structure at the electrochemical interface can greatly influence the local catalytic environment, but it is not fully understood. Herein, recent advances in EDL structure for CO2RR are focused. The main components of the EDL, including adsorbates on the electrode surface, metal/water interface, cations, anions, and differential capacitance are described. The latest experimental and theoretical understanding of EDL and their impact on CO2RR are presented. Finally, the current challenges encountered and the outlook for future development are discussed. This review describes the influence of EDL structure on CO2 reduction, which is of guiding significance for the design of new and efficient CO2 electrocatalysts.

Keywords

• CO2 reduction
• differential capacitance
• electric double layers
• electrochemical interfaces
• electrode potential