Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into formate/formic acid: A review of cell design and operation

The release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere is threatening the environment and ecosystems, resulting in major challenges to sustainable development for modern industry. In this context, CO₂ electrochemical reduction (CO₂ ECR) is one of the most promising technologies to mitigate the effects of high CO₂ content in the atmosphere. Electrochemical technology can convert CO₂ into value-added chemicals including methanol, ethanol and formate. In this review, different mechanisms of CO₂ electrochemical reduction into formate/formic acid are reviewed, highlighting the different cell designs. Also, the effect of cell design and operating parameters on the electrochemical reduction process are discussed. The review aims to highlight recent developments in the CO₂ electrochemical cell design for formate production and provide guidelines for future advancements. Challenges of large-scale production and research gaps are also provided.