Advances in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction with copper-based catalysts

The global climate issues caused by carbon emissions have attracted worldwide attention. The electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to hydrocarbon fuels or chemical feedstocks by catalysts driven by electricity generated from renewable energy sources has a promising future. Transition metals with a relatively low cost and excellent catalytic performance have become the preferred choice for catalytic engineering. This work reviewed the current status of copper-derived catalysts, including monolithic copper, Cu single atom, copper oxides, copper alloys, copper-metal organic frameworks, copper phthalocyanines, and copper-nonmetallic compounds for electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction, and elucidated the possible pathways and mechanisms for the reduction of CO₂ to different carbon products. In addition, possible future development directions were proposed, providing reference for carbon emission control and the design and preparation of efficient catalysts based on the analysis of the highlights and shortcomings of the current research.