Rational Manipulation of Intermediates on Copper for CO2 Electroreduction Toward Multicarbon Products

Excess greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), have caused major environmental concerns worldwide. The electroreduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals using renewable energy is an ecofriendly approach to achieve carbon neutrality. In this regard, copper (Cu) has attracted considerable attention as the only known metallic catalyst available for converting CO2 to high-value multicarbon (C2+) products. The production of C2+ involves complicated C–C coupling steps and thus imposes high demands on intermediate regulation. In this review, we discuss multiple strategies for modulating intermediates to facilitate C2+ formation on Cu-based catalysts. Furthermore, several sophisticated in situ characterization techniques are outlined for elucidating the mechanism of C–C coupling. Lastly, the challenges and future directions of CO2 electroreduction to C2+ are envisioned.