Coupling Electrocatalysis and Biotransformation for CO2-Based Biomanufacturing

Transformation of CO2 into high-value, long-chain carbon compounds is a long-term goal for CO2 conversion and utilization. Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction can achieve C1/C2 products with a high formation rate, while biosynthesis can utilize these C1/C2 species as substrates for carbon chain elongation. Coupling these two processes offers a promising avenue for efficient CO2 fixation via synergizing the advantages of both sides. However, it is still challenging to realize its widespread application because of the poor compatibility between different modules. This review summarizes and discusses current developments in electrocatalytic-biosynthetic hybrid systems for CO2 upcycling. First, the recent advances of individual modules are introduced, including conversion pathways, representative electrocatalysts and typical reactors for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction process and microbial synthesis and in vitro multi-enzyme cascade catalysis for low-carbon bio-conversion process. Then, key factors that influence system coupling are discussed via analyzing the features of single modules and their cross-interference effects. Finally, several construction strategies are proposed based on different integration scenarios, offering guidance for the design and optimization of these hybrid systems.