MOF electrocatalysts in CO2 conversion: critical analysis of research trends, challenges and prospects

Achieving sustainable energy and a clean environment is a strong driving force behind the exploration of the electrocatalytic potential of MOFs for CO₂ conversion. The growing interest in the application of MOFs as electrocatalysts for CO₂RR has been attributed to their high surface area and excellent catalytic properties. MOFs have been deployed in their pristine form as catalysts, as porous cavity supports for the incorporation of catalytic active material, or as precursors to obtain single-atom catalysts, showing that they can reduce CO₂ into CO, formic acid and even hydrocarbons and alcohols. Despite these advantages and promising early results, they still have several challenges to overcome, such as poor electrical conductivity, stability and selectivity, and high overpotential, which would limit their practical application as electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction. In this review, various strategies to improve the electrocatalytic performance of MOFs are highlighted and directions that future studies in this field may take identified.