Microbial-derived electrocatalysts: construction and CO2 reduction applications

Abstract

With the increasing global demand for sustainable energy and environmental solutions, the development of efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly electrocatalysts has become a key area of research. Microorganisms, with their distinctive microstructures, abundant functional groups, and diverse metabolic activities, offer innovative pathways for the green synthesis of electrocatalysts. This review first systematically summarizes microbial-derived electrocatalysts by using microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) as templates and metabolites, e.g., extracellular polymers, bacterial cellulose as mediates, and their applications in various representative electrocatalytic reactions, including hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, and oxygen reduction reaction. We then particularly focus on the application of microbial-derived electrocatalysts in CO₂ reduction reaction. Microorganisms not only serve as structural templates to impart high surface areas and ordered pores to catalysts but also facilitate the introduction of active sites through metabolic processes, significantly enhancing catalytic efficiency toward the optimization of reduction products. Finally, the current challenges as well as future optimization strategies are proposed in the field of microbial-derived electrocatalysts. This work offers a guideline for the design of microbial-mediated catalytic materials, advancing new strategies toward achieving carbon neutrality.