Progress in Electroreduction of CO2 to Form Various Fuels Based on Zn Catalysts

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the main greenhouse gases and the major factor driving global climate change. From the viewpoint of abundance, economics, non-toxicity, and renewability, CO2 is an ideal and significant C1 resource, and its capture and recycling into fuels and chemical feedstocks using renewable energy is of great significance for the sustainable development of society. Electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RRs) are an important pathway to utilize CO2 resources. Zinc has been demonstrated as an effective catalyst for CO2RRs. Numerous studies have focused on improving the efficiency of zinc-based catalysts by tuning their morphology and components, as well as controlling their oxidation states or doping. However, only a handful of reviews have evaluated the performance of Zn-based CO2RR electrocatalysts. The present review endeavors to fill this research gap and introduces the recent progress in using CO2RRs to create various fuels (carbon-containing substances or hydrocarbons) using zinc-based catalysts, including Zn monomers, Zn-containing bimetals, oxide-derived Zn catalysts, and single/dual Zn atom catalysts. The mechanism of the electroreduction reaction of CO2 is discussed. Based on the previous achievements, the current stage and the outlook for future developments in the field are summarized. This review will provide a reference for future research on CO2RRs to generate fuels using Zn-based catalysts and their commercialization.