From Capture to Conversion: Advances and Challenges in Integrated CO2 Capture and Utilization for Industrial Decarbonization

Amid growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has become an important pathway toward deep decarbonization. However, the conventional separated “capture–release–conversion” process suffers from high energy consumption and system complexity, which severely limits its large-scale application. Integrated CO2 Capture and Utilization (ICCU), which enables the capture, activation, and conversion of CO2 within a single system, has attracted widespread attention because it can effectively reduce intermediate energy-intensive steps and improve carbon utilization efficiency. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in ICCU technology, with particular emphasis on reaction mechanisms and interfacial coupling characteristics. The performance features of solvent-based chemical absorption and solid-sorbent adsorption, two widely studied capture routes, are summarized, and typical integrated conversion pathways, including reverse water–gas shift, methanation, and dry reforming of methane, are discussed. On this basis, the roles of non-conventional energy-assisted strategies, such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, non-thermal plasma, and microwave irradiation, in expanding ICCU systems are further examined, together with their system-level coupling potential in carbon-intensive industries such as steel, cement, and power generation. Finally, the key scientific issues and engineering challenges currently facing ICCU are analyzed from the perspectives of fundamental mechanisms, material design, and system engineering, and future development directions are proposed. This review highlights that elucidating multiscale synergistic mechanisms, developing high-performance dual-function materials, and optimizing system integration are crucial to promoting the industrial application of ICCU technology.