Carbon-efficient carbon dioxide electrolysers

The electroreduction of CO₂ (CO₂R) is the conversion of CO₂ to renewable fuels and feedstocks, a promising technology that could support the transition from fossil to renewable sources in the chemical industry. Today the viability of CO₂R technology is limited by carbonate formation via the reaction of reactant CO₂ with hydroxides and the energy cost incurred to regenerate the reactant. In this Review, we analyse the literature on four emerging high single pass CO₂ conversion approaches: CO₂ regeneration from carbonate, CO₂R in acidic media, cascade CO₂R-COR and CO₂R direct from a capture liquid. We analyse each system, describe the challenges associated with each pathway and outline future research directions towards the goal of ensuring that CO₂R is viable and thus scalable.