Progress in Electroreduction of CO₂ to Form Various Fuels Based on Zn Catalysts

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the main greenhouse gases and the major factor driving global climate change. From the viewpoint of abundance, economics, non-toxicity, and renewability, CO₂ is an ideal and significant C1 resource, and its capture and recycling into fuels and chemical feedstocks using renewable energy is of great significance for the sustainable development of society. Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reactions (CO₂RRs) are an important pathway to utilize CO₂ resources. Zinc has been demonstrated as an effective catalyst for CO₂RRs. Numerous studies have focused on improving the efficiency of zinc-based catalysts by tuning their morphology and components, as well as controlling their oxidation states or doping. However, only a handful of reviews have evaluated the performance of Zn-based CO₂RR electrocatalysts. The present review endeavors to fill this research gap and introduces the recent progress in using CO₂RRs to create various fuels (carbon-containing substances or hydrocarbons) using zinc-based catalysts, including Zn monomers, Zn-containing bimetals, oxide-derived Zn catalysts, and single/dual Zn atom catalysts. The mechanism of the electroreduction reaction of CO₂ is discussed. Based on the previous achievements, the current stage and the outlook for future developments in the field are summarized. This review will provide a reference for future research on CO₂RRs to generate fuels using Zn-based catalysts and their commercialization.