Research progress on bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid systems for efficient CO<sub>2</sub> reduction

LI Qiannan; CHEN Yinguang; ZHANG Qingran

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202503007

Volume 43 Issue 3

Mar. 2025

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LI Qiannan, CHEN Yinguang, ZHANG Qingran. Research progress on bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid systems for efficient CO2 reduction[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(3): 77-89. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202503007

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LI Qiannan, CHEN Yinguang, ZHANG Qingran. Research progress on bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid systems for efficient CO₂ reduction[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(3): 77-89. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202503007

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Research progress on bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid systems for efficient CO₂ reduction

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202503007

1. School of Environmental Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Received Date: 2024-12-17
Accepted Date: 2025-01-16
Rev Recd Date: 2025-01-05

Available Online: 2025-06-07

Publish Date: 2025-03-01

Abstract

Abstract

The capture， utilization， and sequestration of carbon dioxide （CO₂） represent effective strategies for mitigating the greenhouse effect. Synthesizing high-value compounds from CO₂ not only effectively alleviates climate warming but also achieves high-value resource utilization of CO₂. The bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid system integrates the advantages of high selectivity in biocatalysis and high productivity in photo/electrocatalysis， enabling efficient reduction of CO₂ and selective synthesis of green high-value chemicals. A summary and analysis of the current research status of bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid systems can help clarify the intrinsic mechanisms behind the efficient reduction of CO₂ by these systems， understand the current research landscape， analyze the challenges in current research， and propose targeted directions for future research. Firstly， a systematic understanding of the bio-photo/electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ systems based on their development process was established. Then， a detailed overview of the electron transfer mechanisms between biocatalysis and photo/electrocatalysis was proposed， including direct and indirect electron transfers， elucidating the intrinsic mechanisms of CO₂ fixation for the synthesis of green high-value chemicals. In biological photo/electrocatalytic composite systems， the electron transfer mechanism is crucial. Electron transfer is divided into direct electron transfer and indirect electron transfer based on whether an electron shuttle is required， and an efficient electron transfer between the electrode and biocatalyst through different pathways is obtained. Subsequently， based on the internal electron transfer mechanisms， the bio-photo/electrocatalytic hybrid system was introduced. With the development of biological photo/electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ technology， the configuration of biological photo/electrocatalytic composite systems has diversified. Among them， the biological photo/electrocatalytic direct coupling system features a simple structure， easy operation， and high electron transfer efficiency， but it also has issues such as a limited variety of products and biocatalysts. To address these issues， a spatial decoupling strategy has been proposed. The biological photo/electrocatalytic indirect coupling system can synthesize more complex products， screen a wider variety of microorganisms based on the target product， and solve the mismatch between the culture medium of the biocatalytic system and the electrolyte composition of the electrocatalytic system. Inspired by photosynthesis， the photosensitized material-microorganism composite system has emerged. This system utilizes photovoltaic materials to collect light energy and provides electrons or reductive equivalents to microorganisms， mimicking the process of natural photosynthesis. Despite the significant progress in research on biological photo/electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂， many issues and challenges remain. Finally， the paper summarized the current limiting factors in the bio-photo/electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction system and outlooked the future research directions.
- bio-photo/electrocatalysis,
- CO₂ reduction,
- resource utilization,
- electron transfer,
- photosensitized materials

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References(62)

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