Recent advances on the reduction of CO2 to important C2+ oxygenated chemicals and fuels

The chemical utilization of CO2 is a crucial step for the recycling of carbon resource. In recent years, the study on the conversion of CO2 into a wide variety of C2 + important chemicals and fuels has received considerable attention as an emerging technology. Since CO2 is thermodynamically stable and kinetically inert, the effective activation of CO2 molecule for the selective transformation to target products still remains a challenge. The well-designed CO2 reduction route and efficient catalyst system has imposed the feasibility of CO2 conversion into C2 + chemicals and fuels. In this paper, we have reviewed the recent advances on chemical conversion of CO2 into C2 + chemicals and fuels with wide practical applications, including important alcohols, acetic acid, dimethyl ether, olefins and gasoline. In particular, the synthetic routes for CC coupling and carbon chain growth, multifunctional catalyst design and reaction mechanisms are exclusively emphasized.