The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, also known as CO2RR, is the conversion of carbon dioxide () to more reduced chemical species using electrical energy. It represents one potential step in the broad scheme of carbon capture and utilization.
CO2RR can produce diverse compounds including formate (HCOO), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH), ethylene (CH), and ethanol (CHOH). The main challenges are the relatively high cost of electricity (vs petroleum) and that CO is often contaminated with O and must be purified before reduction.
The first examples of CO2RR are from the 19th century, when carbon dioxide was reduced to carbon monoxide using a zinc cathode. Research in this field intensified in the 1980s following the oil embargoes of the 1970s. As of 2021, pilot-scale carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction is being developed by several companies, including Siemens, Dioxide Materials, Twelve and [https://www.gigkarasek.com/en/renewable-carbon-solutions GIGKarasek]. The techno-economic analysis was recently conducted to assess the key technical gaps and commercial potentials of the carbon dioxide electrolysis technology at near ambient conditions.