Chapter 3: Copper Catalysts for the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

This chapter introduces copper (Cu) catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in aqueous media. Cu is the only metallic electrode capable of electrochemically converting CO₂ into hydrocarbons and alcohols with significant faradaic efficiencies. However, there are still challenges pertaining to reaction selectivity, efficiency and catalyst stability that need to be overcome before Cu can be applied to industrial-scale CO₂ reduction. Previous experimental and theoretical works have suggested that tuning the binding energy of the key reaction intermediates by nanostructuring the Cu surface can play an important role in achieving this end. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the role of nanostructured Cu catalysts such as nanoparticles, oxide-derived Cu and Cu composites for the efficient and selective CO₂ reduction to target products.