Uniting biological and chemical strategies for selective CO2 reduction

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 into useful fuels and chemical feedstocks offers great promise for conversion to a carbon-neutral economy. However, challenges in product selectivity continue to limit the practical application of electrocatalytic systems. In this Perspective, we outline the thermodynamic and kinetic factors for the design of improved catalysts for CO2 fixation and carbon–carbon bond formation, and draw parallels between synthetic systems and natural enzymes that perform analogous transformations. By identifying the primary features that underpin the highly efficient CO2 conversion reactions seen in nature, synthetic catalysts can be constructed to take advantage of similar chemical principles. Given the demonstrated prior success of bio-inspired molecular design, increased and dynamic interactions between the chemical, biological and materials science fields will advance catalyst development in a synergistic fashion. Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a complex process with many competing products, yet nature has evolved ways to overcome these issues. This Perspective makes connections between the motifs observed in nature and strategies that can be employed in synthetic systems for the advancement of selectivity in CO2 reduction.