A bibliometric analysis of advances in CO₂ reduction technology based on patents

The conversion of CO₂ into useful chemicals or fuels has the potential to reduce its concentration in the atmosphere, thereby mitigating the effects of climate change. On the other hand, CO₂ represents a plentiful carbon resource that can be employed for the synthesis of chemicals, fuels, and other materials. In recent years, scholars in related fields have devoted considerable attention to CO₂ reduction as an effective resource utilisation technology. Following an investigation into the relevant patents, it was determined that the majority of patents related to this field of study fall under the following categories: photocatalytic CO₂ reduction technology, electrochemical CO₂ reduction technology, thermochemical CO₂ reduction technology, biological CO₂ reduction technology, and the technology that combines various methods. The increasing number of patent publications reflects the advancement of CO₂ reduction methods in recent years. This paper analyses and summarises CO₂ reduction technologies through representative examples, and the results indicate that the preparation and research of catalytic materials represents the future mainstream trend of the aforementioned four reduction technology patents.