Pulse check: Potential opportunities in pulsed electrochemical CO2 reduction

Developing affordable, robust, and selective CO2 electroreduction technologies is crucial to address concerns about rising CO2 emissions. Pulsed potential electrochemical CO2 reduction (p-eCO2R) has emerged as a simple and responsive knob to increase electrolyzer durability and improve product selectivity. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of p-eCO2R on copper electrodes as a function of applied potential and pulse duration. We discuss how pulse methods present scientific and technological opportunities for electrochemical technologies beyond p-eCO2R, in particular, ones involving competing reactions or electrode deactivation.