Recent progress of amorphous nanomaterials for photo/electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction

Photo/electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) to valuable products represents a promising strategy for addressing environmental challenges and the global energy crisis. Owing to their intrinsic structural isotropy, high structural flexibility, fast ion transport capability, tunable electronic structures, and optimized reaction pathways, amorphous nanomaterials have emerged as highly attractive catalysts for CO₂RR. Unlike previous reviews that mainly focus on amorphous electrocatalysts or specific material classes, this article provides a comprehensive overview of amorphous nanomaterials for both photo/electrocatalytic CO₂RR. We first summarize recent advances in amorphous nanomaterials for both photo/electrocatalytic CO₂RR, covering design principles, catalytic performance, and reaction mechanisms. Then, we correlate the amorphous structural features with CO₂RR performance by examining three key aspects of the reaction pathway, including CO₂ adsorption, CO₂ activation and C–C/N coupling. Finally, current challenges and future research opportunities are discussed to provide guidance for the rational design of next-generation amorphous CO₂RR catalysts.