Beyond Initial Activity: A Perspective Toward Durable Cu-Based Catalysts for CO₂ Electroreduction

Abstract

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (ECO₂RR) offers a promising route for converting CO₂ into value-added chemicals and fuels. Cu-based catalysts are particularly attractive owing to their unique capability to produce multi-carbon products via C─C coupling, yet their practical application is severely hindered by poor operational stability. This perspective systematically reviews recent advances in stabilizing Cu-based catalysts, focusing on inorganic structure engineering, organic coating and ligand modification, active site regeneration, and electrolysis system engineering. We further outline future research directions, such as leveraging machine learning for accelerated catalyst screening and employing in situ characterization techniques to probe structural dynamics. This work aims to provide foundational insights and practical strategies toward stable, active, and selective Cu-based catalysts for scalable ECO₂RR.

Keywords

Cu-based catalysts / electrochemical CO₂ reduction / stability

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2026 The Author(s). SusMat published by Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.