Research Projects

CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) is crucial for reducing global warming, as the direct removal of CO2 from the air can reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, the activation energy for CO2 reduction requires significant energy input due to the stable symmetric linear structure of CO2 molecules. Various adsorbents and catalysts have been used in CO2 capture and reduction, including noble metals, transition metals, and carbon compounds. However, these materials have limitations such as low efficiency, poor selectivity, stability, and uncertain CO2 reduction mechanisms. MOFs are promising adsorbents and catalysts for CO2 capture and conversion due to their unique advantages, such as two-dimensional MOFs (2D MOFs) with weak out-of-plane stacking, abundant exposed active sites, sufficient mass transport, and easy integration into devices. Designing MOFs for selective CO2 capture and efficient heterogeneous catalysis of solvent-free CO2 conversion under ambient conditions is a pressing task. Cu is the only transition metal element that can efficiently create C2+ products due to the binding energy of the *CO intermediate. However, Cu has a high overpotential and low selectivity in CO2 reduction, making it a hot topic for increasing its catalytic efficacy. Various efforts have been made to enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of catalysts by varying surface morphology, combining different oxidation states of Cu atoms, and modifying the material composition. Copper-doped carbon-based materials and heteroatoms like nitrogen are the front-runners for increasing performance and selectivity of C2+ products more efficiently.