Revisiting the reactivity of carbon dioxide: from physical and chemical properties to reactive carbon capture

The commonly believed low chemical reactivity of CO₂ is misguiding, considering the high electrophilicity of C_sp of CO₂, the seemingly omnipresent photosynthetic C-C bond formation, and the enzymatic hydrolysis of CO₂ to form carbonic acid on the surface of water. Here, we discuss the electrophilic reactivity and thermodynamic stability of CO₂ under standardized conditions to shed light on the properties of CO₂ that can be relevant in applications. This is particularly important to guide and rationalize new technologies of carbon capture and, more importantly, for utilization by understanding physical and chemical parameters that matter. This tutorial review, therefore, illustrates how to revisit the reactivity of CO₂ from the perspective of its utility for developing suitable solutions for carbon capture and utilization, particularly for the concept of reactive capture of CO₂, based on the available thermodynamic and kinetic data in recent literature.