Nitrogen-containing polymers as a platform for CO2 electroreduction.

Heterogeneous electroreduction of CO2 has received considerable attention in the past decade. However, none of the earlier reviews has been dedicated to nitrogen-containing polymers (N-polymers) as an emerging platform for conversion of CO2 to industrially useful chemicals. The term 'platform' is used here to underscore that the role of N-polymers is not only to serve as direct catalysts (through loaded metals) but also as co-catalysts/promoters and stabilizing agents. This review covers the current state, advantages, challenges, and prospects of the application of N-polymer-metal composites, also referred as polymer functionalized, coated, or modified electrodes, as well as functional hybrid materials, for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2. It briefly surveys the efficiencies of the N-polymer-metal electrodes already used for this application, methods of their fabrication, and proposed mechanisms of their catalytic activities.