Recent advances in metal-based electrocatalysts with hetero-interfaces for CO2 reduction reaction

Robust electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity are critically important for the industrial application of carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction. Functional materials with hetero-interfaces have recently emerged as a promising class of electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Herein, we review a broad spectrum of recently developed hetero-interface catalysts pertaining to electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and the synthetic strategy of these materials. The hetero-catalysts can be broadly categorized into three groups by the composition of hetero-interfaces: (1) metal-metal hetero-interface, (2) metal-inorganic compound hetero-interface, and (3) metal-organic molecule hetero-interface. The special interfacial effects would have significant impacts on the reaction pathways of CO2 reduction, leading to modulated catalytic activity and product selectivity. Detailed discussions provide a rational understanding of how the hetero-interfaces enhance the catalytic performance. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and possible future directions for advanced hetero-catalysts toward efficient CO2 reduction.