Summary
Water can be involved in the reduction of CO2 as a promoter, proton donor, reaction medium, or by-product. The role of water molecules is usually crucial for improving the conversion efficiency of CO2. The presence of water molecules on the catalysts may change the hydrophilic/reactive surface, which is beneficial for the interaction between reactants/products and catalyst. In parallel, derivative species from water molecules may also band crucial intermediates during the process of CO2 reduction. Despite large numbers of reports on water-mediated CO2 reduction, a clear picture about the positive or negative effects of water is only starting to emerge. This perspective summarizes the latest research progress on water-mediated thermo-, photo-, and electrocatalytic CO2 conversion, with a focus on the role of water in determining the catalytic performance and reaction mechanisms. The adsorption, activation, and transformation processes of H2O and CO2 on the catalyst surface are presented with the aim of pointing out future research directions, including further optimization of catalyst performance and enhancement of reaction efficiency.
L. Jiang, C. Zhou, J. Cai, K. Li, H. Wang, Water-mediated reduction of carbon dioxide, Cell Reports Physical Science, 2024, 102246. DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102246.
