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

Abstract Excess greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), have caused major environmental concerns worldwide. The electroreduction of CO 2 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 CO 2 to high-value multicarbon (C 2+ ) products. The production of C 2+ 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 C 2+ 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 CO 2 electroreduction to C 2+ are envisioned.