Superlative Porous Organic Polymers for Photochemical and Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction Applications: From Synthesis to Functionality

To mimic the carbon cycle at a kinetically rapid pace, the sustainable conversion of omnipresent CO₂ to value-added chemical feedstock and hydrocarbon fuels implies a remarkable prototype for utilizing released CO₂. Porous organic polymers (POPs) have been recognized as remarkable catalytic systems for achieving large-scale applicability in energy-driven processes. POPs offer mesoporous characteristics, higher surface area, and superior optoelectronic properties that lead to their relatively advanced activity and selectivity for CO₂ conversion. In comparison to the metal organic frameworks, POPs exhibit an enhanced tendency toward membrane formation, which governs their excellent stability with regard to remarkable ultrathinness and tailored pore channels. The structural ascendancy of POPs can be effectively utilized to develop cost-effective catalytic supports for energy conversion processes to leapfrog over conventional noble metal catalysts that have nonlinear techno-economic equilibrium. Herein, we precisely surveyed the functionality of POPs from scratch, classified it, and provided a critical commentary of its current methodological advancements and photo/electrochemical achievements in the CO₂ reduction reaction.