Homogeneous Systems Containing Earth-Abundant Metal Complexes for Photoactivated CO2 Reduction: Recent Advances

Photo-driven reduction of CO2 into advantageous chemicals is a noteworthy pathway to close the carbon cycle and decrease carbon footprint. The use of visible light and ultimately solar radiation is extremely interesting in managing energy issues. Similarly, the employment of cost-effective materials guides to environmentally friendly applications. This Review addresses the homogeneous systems used for photoactivated the CO2 reduction in the last years, highlighting the earth-abundant metal-based components. Besides those systems composed only of noble metal-free units, hybrid systems, also containing a noble metal-based complex, are also examined, revealing that research needs to increase the attention on more sustainable alternatives.