A Potentially Important Route for the Future Production of Fuels and Chemicals

The reduction of carbon dioxide to fuels and chemicals can be accomplished by the use of electrocatalysts of the platinum group metals. Worthwhile products include carbon monoxide, formate, methanol, methane, oxalate and even higher hydrocarbons depending on the catalyst type and environment. Three classes of electrocatalysts have been identified: catalytic metal sugaces, monomeric solution complexes, and chemically modified electrodes; the latter being a novel hybrid of solid state, sugace and homogeneous solution chemistry.