In Situ DRIFTS in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction: Basic Principle and Current Progress

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With increasing concerns over CO2 emissions in energy and environmental contexts, harvesting solar energy to drive the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) toward value-added chemicals is of great significance for achieving the sustainable development of human society. The key to achieving high selectivity of target products lies in an in-depth understanding of the adsorption behavior and conformational features of key reaction intermediates. Through in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), it is possible to monitor the evolution of key intermediates in real time, characterize the formation of carbon-containing products, and infer possible reaction pathways. This review provides a brief introduction to photocatalytic CO2RR and presents the basic principles of in situ DRIFTS. Special emphasis is placed on the recent progress of in situ DRIFTS technique in photocatalytic CO2RR, which is crucial for providing both theoretical insights and practical guidance for improving product selectivity. Finally, future outlook and potential applications of in situ DRIFTS in the field of photocatalytic CO2RR are envisioned.