Review of electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 on carbon supported films

Carbon capture and conversion are becoming increasingly important as atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise and their adverse effects become increasingly evident. CO2 conversion/utilization-related research has gained renewed interest on a variety of platforms, including thermal, solar, biological, photochemical, and electrochemical conversions. Electrochemical routes, using suitable catalysts, are potentially suitable for commercial purposes owing to ease of integration with solvent-based carbon capture processes. This paper summarizes and evaluates the studies conducted within the past decade regarding the feasibility of carbon-based supports utilized in electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction. CO2 conversion has been reviewed in a number of reports, focusing on specific sections, such as metallic/bimetallic catalysts, CO2 solubility, and the fabrication of electrodes and electrochemical cells. The number of publications addressing various carbon-based electrocatalysts is increasing, but these materials have not yet been reviewed. Herein, we are focused on three types of electrocatalyst materials: metals, metal-oxides, non-oxides, and combinations thereof with carbon. The scope of this study includes the following: i) carbon-based materials and how they are characterized by distinctive properties, ii) electrocatalytic CO2 conversion techniques, and iii) research cases for carbon allotrope-supported composites used in CO2 reduction. The advancement in analytical tools that provide insight into liquid-phase reactions will benefit the development of catalysts and electrodes that will be effective in converting CO2 into the desired products. Such developments will also be applicable to other systems involving liquid electrolytes or solvents for performing reactions on catalyst surfaces.