Significant Advances in C1 Catalysis: Highly Efficient Catalysts and Catalytic Reactions

C1 catalysis refers to the conversion of simple carbon-containing compounds, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and methanol into high-value-added chemicals, petrochemical intermediates, and clean fuels. Because of the rising oil price and the apprehension of fossil fuel depletion in the future, C1 catalysis has been attracting widespread academic and industrial interest and became one of the most attractive research fields in heterogeneous catalysis. Especially in recent years, benefiting from advanced technology development, precise and controllable material synthesis methods, and powerful computational simulation capabilities, C1 catalysis has achieved remarkable progress in many aspects, including insights into the reaction mechanism, identification of active-site structures, highly efficient catalysts and reaction process, and the reactor designs. This Review highlights the latest developments (from 2012 to 2018) in highly efficient catalyst systems and reaction processes in this field. The content covers the catalytic utilization of the four molecules including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and methanol. The catalytic performances of these highly efficient systems, including activity, selectivity, and stability, are introduced in detail and compared to previously reported catalysts. Furthermore, the established relationships between reactivity and active-site structure are clarified. Finally, current challenges and perspectives for future research are discussed.