Surface ligand-promoted heterogeneous CO₂ catalysis

Heterogeneous CO₂ catalysis towards the synthesis of high-value products provides a potent pathway for achieving carbon neutrality. The distinctive attributes of surface ligands allow for highly effective tuning of the kinetics and mechanisms to enhance CO₂ conversion performance. In this review, the catalytic contributions of surface ligands from the view of structure modulation, mechanism modulation, mass transfer, and energy transfer were summarized. The relationships between surface ligands and the performance of functionalized catalysts were further explored. Subsequently, the applications of hydrocarbon chain spacer, hydroxyl and amino as terminal, and SiO_x ligand in thermal, photo, and photothermal CO₂ conversion were investigated. By examining the current limitations and advancements, we concluded with insights into potential future research directions that focus on the development of precisely tuned active sites for highly efficient CO₂ conversion.