Insight Into Inverse Catalysts for CO _x Hydrogenation: Recent Progress, Design Principles and Synthesis Methods

ABSTRACT

Catalysts based on traditional metal‐supported oxide systems have garnered significant attention in catalytic CO _X processes. However, achieving simultaneous high activity, selectivity, and stability remains a formidable challenge, plagued by the limitation of active sites and structural intimacy. Inverse catalysts, as a novel derivative of traditional supported catalysts, invert the spatial configuration of oxides and metals by dispersing nano‐oxide on a metallic substrate. This creates unique interfacial structures and electronic properties via interfacial synergy effects, resulting in excellent performance in various catalytic reactions, making them one of the current research hotspots in the scope of C1 chemistry. This paper systematically reviews the research progress on inverse catalysts, which are categorized into Cu‐based, Ni‐based, and other metals‐based types, mainly focusing on the structural features and catalytic performance in typical small‐molecule conversion such as CO oxidation and CO ₂ hydrogenation. It elaborates structure–performance correlations from interfacial interaction, electronic effect, and defect engineering, illustrates performance optimization strategies, and generalizes mainstream synthetic routes. Finally, the paper identifies current challenges in inverse catalysts research. This review offers structure–activity relationship insights and design principles for inverse catalysts, contributing to future directions in design and synthesis.