Immobilization strategies for porphyrin-based molecular catalysts for the electroreduction of CO₂

Abstract

The ever-growing level of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our atmosphere, is at once a threat and an opportunity. The development of sustainable and cost-effective pathways to convert CO₂ to value-added chemicals is central to reducing its atmospheric presence. Electrochemical CO₂ reduction reactions (CO₂RRs) driven by renewable electricity are among the most promising techniques to utilize this abundant resource; however, in order to reach a system viable for industrial implementation, continued improvements to the design of electrocatalysts is essential to improve the economic prospects of the technology. This review summarizes recent developments in heterogeneous porphyrin-based electrocatalysts for CO₂ capture and conversion. We specifically discuss the various chemical modifications necessary for different immobilization strategies, and how these choices influence catalytic properties. Although a variety of molecular catalysts have been proposed for CO₂RRs, the stability and tunability of porphyrin-based catalysts make their use particularly promising in this field. We discuss the current challenges facing CO₂RRs using these catalysts and our own solutions that have been pursued to address these hurdles.