Smart materials for CO2 conversion into renewable fuels and emission reduction

In the 21st century, the burning of fossil fuels to meet the ever-increasing demands of global energy has become a serious challenge due to the excessive production of greenhouse gases. Excess amounts of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2, trap additional heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. By efficiently converting CO2 into renewable value-added fuel using solar energy, global warming, and the energy crisis can be tackled synchronically. Several attempts have been made to improve the hydrogenation of CO2 by developing an efficient photocatalyst. This article reviews the fundamentals and mechanisms for photoreduction pathways of CO2 and critical aspects that greatly affect photo-reduction efficiency. The promising research directions toward the development of advanced photocatalysts for the enhancement of CO2 to hydrogenation were critically assessed. The opportunities, challenges, and prospects to design photocatalysts for the hydrogenation of CO2 into fuels were highlighted. The valuable information for designing highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into renewable fuels was provided to reduce CO2 emissions.