Current advances on low dimensional nanohybrids electrocatalysts toward scale-up electrochemical CO₂ reduction: A review

Due to the industrial revolution the emission of CO₂ in the air reached to a noticeable degree (∼ 419.51 ppm) and continuous increase leading to effects effect adversely in the global climate. The utilization of captured CO₂ through its electrochemical reduction into valuable fuels or chemicals has emerged as a promising technology to address climate change. Thus, among the various approaches electrochemical CO₂ reduction is being progressively implemented for the conversion of CO₂ into valuable fuels or chemicals. Unfortunately, the current state-of-the-art of such processes is lacking with respect to performance targets for scaling-up these technologies to industrial levels such as high current density (>200 mA/cm²) as well as stability for ∼30000 hours. Unluckily, in most of reported research these criteria found much lower. Distinctive properties of the electrocatalyst materials determine the selective, effective, and stable electrocatalysts of CO₂ reduction to industrial scale. The gap between the reported and targeted performance stems from the available electrocatalyst materials that dictate the selectivity, efficiency, and stability of the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. In this review, we summarize recent progress made on the modification of low dimensional (LD) nanomaterials and their nanohybrids for the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Particular focus is placed on highlighting common challenges faced by these electrocatalysts, spanning recent advances on modified LD nanomaterials of CNTs, Graphene and MXenes. We further highlight areas that require additional attention in order for such catalyst materials to meet the required targets to enable the scale-up of CO₂ electroreduction to the industrial scale.