Recent Advances in Engineered MoS₂-Based Nanomaterials for CO₂ Electro-Reduction to CO and Beyond

The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added compounds is an emerging climate-change mitigation technique. Among various approaches, electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECO2R) driven by renewable energy sources is considered one of the most viable methods for CO2 reduction. Thus, developing efficient, cost-effective electrocatalysts that enhance reaction kinetics is vital for advancing ECO2R and enabling large-scale implementation. During the past few years, among the several transition metal dichalcogenides, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has attracted much interest in the field of electrocatalysis owing to its two-dimensional (2D) structure and high density of active sites, which could lead to the development of several high-performance ECO2R catalysts. This review presents the development and design of MoS2-based nanomaterials tailored for electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECO2R), exploring the relationship between engineering strategies, catalytic performance, CO2 conversion efficiency, and reaction pathways, while also highlighting controlled synthesis methods, recent advances in catalyst design for active site stabilization, and the influence of electrolytes on ECO2R performance. It also underscores the significant challenges that need to be overcome for the real-world implementation of MoS2-based nanomaterials in ECO2R to produce value-added chemicals, emphasizing the need for further research and development in this area.