Progress in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formic acid: A review on current trends and future prospects

The utilization of CO2 to produce formic acid (HCOOH) is regarded as an acceptable and efficient approach for mitigating the negative effects of gaseous emissions from chemical industries and other anthropogenic activities. Electrochemical reduction (ECR) is a method for converting CO2 to HCOOH in which electrocatalysts, electrodes, and electrolytes all play a vital role. Despite considerable advancements in CO2ECR, its efficiency is still hampered by a number of difficulties, including high electrocatalyst costs, selectivity toward HCOOH production, poor electrode surface area, and reactor mass transfer limitation. Numerous researches have been performed in recent decades to alleviate such constraints. The current review focuses on the progress in the production of HCOOH through CO2ECR. The involvement of the electrocatalyst, electrode and electrolyte in the ECR process is thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the impact of different parameters such as pressure, temperature, and reactor design are thoroughly analyzed. Further, the commercial aspects and techno-economic analysis of the utilization of CO2 are featured to highlight the process feasibility. Finally, this paper is concluded by discussing the challenges that are frequently encountered during the ECR process for HCOOH production with an aspiration of futuristic developments. The readers of this paper will be highly benefited by acquiring comprehensive knowledge on the ECR mechanism for HCOOH production.