Back Cover: Theoretical Insight into the Trends that Guide the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid (ChemSusChem 4/2016)

The Back Cover picture shows a sustainable cycle of CO2 use—from its formation via its electrochemical transformation to formic acid subsequent use as fuel. The efficiency of the crucial step, the electroreduction of CO2 to formic acid, strongly depends on the avoidance of side reactions occurring. To be able to better elucidate the outcome of this reaction, a theoretical analysis of transition metal surfaces with respect to their availability to reduce CO2 electrochemically to formic acid has been performed. Purely based on thermodynamic arguments, we were able to identify the necessary requirements for a material to act as an efficient catalyst in the electrochemical reduction of CO2. More details can be found in the Full Paper by Yoo et al. on page 358 in Issue 4, 2016 (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201501197).