@article{Yang2026, 
author = {Yikai Yang and Dandan Zhang and Shuqi Cao and Linhua Wang and Bin Liu and Huaxing Li and Xinrui Wang and Wenhang Wang and Hui Ning and Jinsheng Zhao and Mingbo Wu},
title = {Active sites and mass/charge transport engineering in carbon-based catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {19},
number = {9},
pages = {94908771},
keywords = {electrochemical CO2 reduction, active sites, carbon-based catalysts, mass/charge transport},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2026.94908771},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2026.94908771},
abstract = {The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a dual benefit: closing the carbon cycle, while simultaneously storing renewable energy in chemical bonds. Carbon-based catalytic materials, as exceptional electrocatalysts, exhibit excellent conductivity, robust stability, tunable surface functionality, and unique capability to construct metal–carbon synergistic interfaces. In CO2RR, carbon-based catalytic materials stand out duple critical functions among series roles: (i) active site engineering governing intrinsic activity, and (ii) mass/charge transport dictating effective active sites utilization. Synergistic optimization of these elements constitutes the “catalytic activity-transport kinetics” binary model for performance enhancement. This review dissects active sites design via defect engineering, heteroatom doping, and metal-carbon composites, coupled with mass/charge transport engineering through electronic conductivity modulation, surface hydrophobicity control, and hierarchical porosity optimization. We further critically examined the challenges and opportunities in CO2RR, with a focus on the integrated design bottlenecks constraining high-performance catalyst development. By integrating these dual engineering paradigms, structure–performance correlations were established to guide the rational design of carbon-based CO2RR catalysts.}
}