Abstract
Electrochemical conversion of CO2 to useful products at temperatures below 100 °C is nearing commercial scale. Pilot units for CO2 conversion to CO are already being tested, and units for CO2 conversion to formic acid are projected to reach pilot scale. Several studies are also beginning to demonstrate industrially relevant rates for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to ethanol and ethylene using water as the hydrogen source. In these systems, Faradaic efficiencies of 80% or more and current densities above 200 mA cm–2 can be reproducibly achieved. This Perspective describes key advances in nanocatalysts that enable this performance, identifies areas where additional work is needed, and provides benchmarks for comparing low-temperature CO2 electrolysis results.