Biochemical approaches of CO ₂ conversion into value‐added products like methanol and ethanol

The biochemical conversion of gaseous components to produce chemical products is considered a promising alternative when compared to existing techniques. Value‐added products such as methanol and ethanol are building block of many chemicals and they are used in the chemical industry as an alternative fuel source, antifreeze, and as precursors of many other compounds. The conversion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into value‐added fuels (methanol and ethanol) via biochemical approaches needs to receive more attention in C1 chemistry, as the higher alcoholic products are recognized as fuel additives, reaction solvents, and intermediates. However, this approach is very challenging due to the functional inertness of CO 2 . This review summarizes and analyses the recent advances in biocatalytic CO 2 conversion to methanol and ethanol that promise to outperform conventional techniques such as electrochemical or photo‐assisted methods. This review gives an overview of the potential sources of CO 2 and its utilization, followed by the current status of methanol and ethanol production and its use. Next, the review focuses on several aspects of the biochemical process that direct conversion of CO 2 to methanol/ethanol enjoys over existing methods. Bacteria‐based conversion, especially methanotrophic, acetogenic, and cyanobacteria‐based processes, are discussed at length. Algae and enzymes also play an important role in the biochemical conversion of CO 2 . Biomass from renewable sources is a promising intermediate product for CO 2 conversion and research efforts are needed to scale up these processes to industrial levels and integrate them into existing infrastructure for large‐scale biochemical CO 2 utilization to value‐added products.