Atomic-Level Tuning Strategies in Designing Active Catalysts for Heterogeneous CO₂ Conversion into Chemical Feedstock

Nanocatalysts exhibit significantly improved performance when reduced to single atoms or small clusters, enhancing active site exposure for CO₂ reduction. By achieving this level of atomic engineering, the exposed active centers can be maximized for accelerated surface adsorption during CO₂ reduction. Several engineering approaches, such as atomic layer coating, tailoring of intrinsic and extrinsic defects, surface-site engineering, oxygen vacancies, etc., can effectively modify the active centres for enhanced CO₂ adsorption and activation. These state-of-the-art methodologies ensure the precise control and regulation of advanced materials at the atomic scale to accelerate the efficiency and selectivity for converting CO₂ into value-added chemical feedstock, addressing both energy and environmental challenges. As CO₂ sequestration is the nexus of almost every sustainable energy resource; therefore, the recent advancements in atomic-level engineering strategies for CO₂ reduction applications are critically surveyed. Herein, we aim to articulate the developments in the existent approaches in atomic-level tuning and surface-site modification techniques alongside challenges and future directions for large-scale applicability of CO₂ reduction.