Reticular Materials for Artificial Photoreduction of CO2

Abstract

AbstractBecause of the energy crisis facing the planet, reducing fossil fuel reliance is an urgent scientific task. Alternative fuels have recently been in high demand. Taking into account the enormous amount of CO2 released from combustion, converting CO2 into high value‐added products using photochemistry—the catalytic transformation is activated by the ubiquitous sunlight mimicking the photosynthesis of natural plants—is of paramount importance. Scientists have developed various photocatalysts for the CO2 photoreduction. Among them, reticular materials including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been employed for many applications during the past decade and have emerged as advanced catalytic platforms for the photoreduction of CO2. This Progress Report aims to provide the fundamentals, mechanism, and methods of characterization to gain insight into the process of CO2 photoreduction. In addition, this Progress Report highlights the achievements in using reticular materials as advanced catalysts for the photoreduction of CO2 and discusses the relationship between structural features of MOFs/COFs with their photocatalytic performance. Based on the comprehension of advancements, opportunities, and challenges of reticular materials for the CO2 photoreduction, the future prospects of this technology are discussed to direct the exciting research in designing better CO2 reduction photocatalysts.