Recent advances on the reduction of CO2 to important C2+ oxygenated chemicals and fuels

The chemical utilization of CO_2 is a crucial step for the recycling of carbon resource. In recent years, the study on the conversion of CO_2 into a wide variety of C_(2+) important chemicals and fuels has received considerable attention as an emerging technology. Since CO_2 is thermodynamically stable and kinetically inert, the effective activation of CO_2 molecule for the selective transformation to target products still remains a challenge. The welldesigned CO_2 reduction route and efficient catalyst system has imposed the feasibility of CO_2 conversion into C_(2+) chemicals and fuels. In this paper, we have reviewed the recent advances on chemical conversion of CO_2 into C_(2+) chemicals and fuels with wide practical applications, including important alcohols, acetic acid, dimethyl ether, olefins and gasoline. In particular, the synthetic routes for C\\C coupling and carbon chain growth, multifunctional catalyst design and reaction mechanisms are exclusively emphasized.