Recent Advancement of Electrocatalyst System in CO2 Reduction

The conversion of carbon dioxide ( CO₂ ) into fuels by means of solar energy remains a challenging mission for scientists. On achieving this, it could and will open the way to an economy-based on renewable energy, and it is possible to possess the potential to provide energy access to everyone on this planet. Electrochemical CO₂ reduction opens up new possibilities of utilization of CO₂ as the carbon feedstock for fuel generation and commodity chemicals. The reduction of CO₂ into higher value carbon products such as methane ( CH4 ), methanol ( CH₃OH ), ethanol ( CH₃CH₂OH ) would require the multi-electrons transfer process that have protonation and deprotonation pathways occurring in the same catalysis system. This chapter starts with the chemical and physical background of CO₂ reduction, followed by electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction system comprising metal(s) as the main character. Iron (Fe), cobalt ( Co ) and nickel ( Ni ) are promising transition metals that are used in energy application of the electrocatalytic process in recent times. The multifunctionality and catalytic behavior of electrocatalysts is strongly enhanced through multinuclear metal clusters interaction. Properties and behaviors of Fe, Co are defined in this chapter.