Understanding of the Carbon Chain Growth in Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Produce C 3+ Molecules

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to value‐added chemical feedstocks and fuels presents a promising strategy for carbon utilization and storage. Although advancements in enhancing the selectivity for C 1 and C 2 products have been witnessed, the research progress for efficient production of C 3+ molecules remains slow. Moreover, the mechanism underlying carbon chain growth is still ambiguous. In this review, the recent developments in understanding how C–C coupling proceeds in the pathway toward C 3+ molecules are mainly focused on. A few examples which reported the formation of C 3 –C 6 molecules in electroreduction of carbon dioxide are first elaborated. Then, the production of 1‐propanol, 2‐propanol, 1‐butanol, allyl alcohol, and propylene, with particular attention to the mechanism of carbon chain growth, is consecutively discussed. Moreover, alternatives for synthesizing valuable C 3+ molecules from carbon dioxide, including tandem electrolyzer and electro–bio hybrid systems, are explored. The review is concluded with remarks on current challenges as well as perspectives on future research possibilities in electroreduction of carbon dioxide to C 3+ chemicals and fuels.