title: Organic molecules as mediators and catalysts for photocatalytic and electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.
abstract: Reduction of CO(2) by electrochemical and photoelectrochemical methods to produce carbon-rich fuels is a heavily pursued research theme. Most of the current efforts are focused on the development of transition-metal-based catalysts. In this tutorial review, we present an overview of the development of organic molecules as mediators and catalysts for CO(2) reduction. Four classes of organic molecules are discussed: tetraalkylammonium salts, aromatic esters and nitriles, ionic liquids, and pyridinium derivatives. It is shown that reactions mediated or catalyzed by these organic molecules can be competitive compared to their metal-catalyzed counterparts, both in terms of product selectivity and energy efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-ISIC-LSCI, BCH 3305, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yeonji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Xile
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu