Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Using Metal-Organic Frameworks and Non-metal-Organic Frameworks Catalyst

The world today is grappling with the need to come up with renewable, cheap, and sustainable energy sources with adequate energy density to replace the dwindling and sometimes harmful fossil fuel. Carbon dioxide, for instance, is a major contributor to the issue of global warming; therefore any process that will help convert carbon dioxide to any less harmful reusable chemical such as methanol is a priority area for research in our world today. A unique method of obtaining methanol through carbon dioxide conversion as an alternative source of energy is an electrocatalytic electrochemical reduction. Presently, significant efforts are channeled toward bettering the efficiency and understanding of electrocatalysts. For carbon dioxide (CO2) electrochemical reduction to methanol, metal-organic frameworks, metal oxides, metals without impurities, and composite materials are employed. However, of all the above materials, metal-organic frameworks remain the preferred option for its outstanding structural features, very simple nature, and higher surface area. For the past few years, metal-organic frameworks and their products have often been employed to electrocatalize hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide reduction, and hydrogen evolution. The focus therefore of this review is to unite the advantages offered by composite materials, non-metal-organic frameworks, and metal-organic frameworks for use in electroreduction of carbon dioxide to methanol. In view of several methods being proposed by different studies on how to improve metal-organic framework efficiencies as electrocatalysts in the chemical transformation of carbon dioxide into methanol, this review emphasizes the basic need to research new and more efficient metal-organic frameworks that will offer better chemical stability and conductivity.