Nanostructured 2D materials: prospective catalysts for electrochemical CO₂ reduction

Abstract

Electrochemical CO₂ reduction to useful fuels and chemicals, driven by renewable energy from intermittent sources such as solar and wind, has been keenly pursued in recent years as a means to resolving energy security and environmental issues associated with conventional fossil fuels. Nanostructured two-dimensional (2D) materials, possessing abundant active sites in the form of surface atoms and edge sites, and providing better electrical conductivity along 2D conducting channels, represent promising candidates for high-performance CO₂-reduction electrocatalysts. Here, newly developed nanostructured 2D materials, including atomically thin transition-metal/metal oxides, transition-metal dichalcogenides, and metal-free 2D materials, are highlighted as state-of-the-art catalysts toward electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Through further exploration of new nanostructured 2D materials and their nanocomposites, more and more breakthroughs in this field of research are to be expected.