Surface chemistry of carbon dioxide revisited

Abstract

This review discusses modern developments in CO₂ surface chemistry by focusing on the work published since the original review by H.J. Freund and M.W. Roberts two decades ago (Surface Science Reports 25 (1996) 225–273). It includes relevant fundamentals pertaining to the topics covered in that earlier review, such as conventional metal and metal oxide surfaces and CO₂ interactions thereon. While UHV spectroscopy has routinely been applied for CO₂ gas–solid interface analysis, the present work goes further by describing surface–CO₂ interactions under elevated CO₂ pressure on non-oxide surfaces, such as zeolites, sulfides, carbides and nitrides. Furthermore, it describes additional salient in situ techniques relevant to the resolution of the interfacial chemistry of CO₂, notably infrared spectroscopy and state-of-the-art theoretical methods, currently used in the resolution of solid and soluble carbonate species in liquid–water vapor, liquid–solid and liquid–liquid interfaces. These techniques are directly relevant to fundamental, natural and technological settings, such as heterogeneous and environmental catalysis and CO₂ sequestration.