Aromatics, including benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), are essential chemical building blocks and are widely used as solvents, fuel additives, and polymers. With the recent development in CO
2 capture technologies and the progress made in producing H
2 using renewable energy, direct hydrogenation of CO
2 to aromatics via heterogeneous catalysis has emerged as a promising pathway to accomplish the production of aromatics with simultaneous utilization of waste CO
2. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the nascent field of direct CO
2 aromatization, whereby tandem catalysts composed of CO
2 hydrogenation and aromatization functionalities are designed and deployed. We review two
more » categories of tandem catalysts: catalysts integrating Fe-based/H-ZSM-5 components following RWGS (reverse water-gas shift of CO2 to CO)-FT (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of lower olefins)-aromatization pathways, and catalysts combining metal oxide/H-ZSM-5 domains following CO2 to methanolaromatization pathways. The key parameters that determine the catalytic performance, such as the composition and structure of the Fe-based or metal oxide-based CO2 conversion catalysts, the properties of H-ZSM-5, and the synergy between the two components, are analyzed to provide insights for the design of efficient tandem catalysts for CO2 aromatization. In parallel, thermodynamic analyses, mechanistic studies, and density functional theory (DFT) computations for the relevant reaction routes and pathways are discussed to offer improved understanding of CO2 activation, reaction intermediates, and product formation. In closing, the challenges and prospects for these tandem reactions are addressed to provide suggested paths forward for future research.« less