Catalysis of the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

The direct and catalyzed electrochemistry of CO(2) partake in the contemporary attempts to reduce this inert molecule to fuels by means of solar energy, either directly, after conversion of light to electricity, or indirectly in that all elements of comprehension derived from electrochemical experiments can be used in the design and interpretation of photochemical experiments. Following reviews of the activity in the field until 2007-2008, the present review reports more recent findings even if their interpretation remains uncertain. It also develops useful notions that allow analyzing and comparing more rigorously the performances of existing catalysts when the necessary data are available. Among the general…