Perspective on the Reaction Pathway of Copper‐Based Electrocatalysts for Producing Fuel‐Grade Methane

ABSTRACT CH 4 has garnered significant attention as a hydrogen carrier and direct energy source due to its exceptionally high energy density. However, conventional CH 4 production methods generate greenhouse gas effects and environmental concerns that far exceed those of fossil fuel combustion. Therefore, strategies that catalyze the conversion of intermittent electricity and low‐cost CO 2 into CH 4 hold immense research value. The core of this system lies in developing suitable electrocatalysts and elucidating their structure‐activity relationships. Based on this, this perspective aims to clarify the current research progress in electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reactions (CO 2 RR) for CH 4 production, including rational catalyst design—encompassing strategies such as engineering low‐coordination Cu sites, defect structures, and crystal plane control—and the mechanisms of deep reduction and hydrogenation of CO 2 . Furthermore, this perspective explores potential future development avenues for CO 2 RR‐based CH 4 production, such as machine learning and device‐level innovations, to pave the way for more efficient CH 4 production.