Emerging green catalytic synthesis of biomolecules from CO2 and/or nitrogenous small molecules

Biomolecules are a category of largely organic matter that covers molecular substances produced or required by living organisms. While they have great value in applications from food flavorings to pharmaceuticals, their industrial synthesis often requires harsh conditions, accompanied by a large amount of energy consumption. Effective utilization of waste resources such as carbon dioxide (CO2) could revolutionize the green synthesis of biomolecules. This review is dedicated to examining the production of biomolecules via green catalytic synthesis methods that use CO2 as the C source and/or nitrogenous small molecules as the N source. A classification of green synthesis methods is introduced from the perspective of the experimental method, reaction path, reaction mechanism, and benefits and shortcomings of each approach. Finally, the main challenges and strategies for improving the green synthesis of biomolecules are highlighted.