Improved CO2 photocatalytic reduction using a novel 3-component heterojunction. (August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Butburee, Teera; Sun, Zhuxing; Centeno, Anthony; Xie, Fang; Zhao, Zhefei; Wu, Daxiong; Peerakiatkhajohn, Piangjai; Thaweesak, Supphasin; Wang, Haiqiang; Wang, Lianzhou
• Is Part Of: Nano energy. Volume 62(2019)
• Page Start: 426
• Page End: 433
• Publication Date: 2019-08
• Subjects: TiO2 -- 3-Component photocatalystis -- Photocatalytic CO2 production -- CO2 conversion -- Solar energy -- Artificial photosynthesis; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Nanoscience; Nanostructured materials; Nanotechnology; Power resources -- Technological innovations; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.05.060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2211-2855

Abstract

Abstract: A new class of three-component photocatalyst system is designed with plasmonic AuCu nanoprisms embedded between a porous single crystalline TiO2 nanoplate thin film and polyhedral zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) nanoparticles for enhanced CO2 photocatalytic reduction. The ZIF-8 plays a role of CO2 capture to enhance the reactant concentration on the catalyst, while the AuCu nanoprisms function mainly as a mediator to improve the charge density at the interfaces and facilitate the charge transfer to the CO2 adsorption sites on ZIF-8 for subsequent CO2 reduction. The reactant CO2 could be not only readily collected on the newly designed catalyst, but also more efficiently converted to CO and CH4 . As a result, compared to the reference sample of two-component system of TiO2 and ZIF-8 with a CO2 conversion rate of 12.5 μmol h −1 g −1, the new three-component photocatalyst exhibited a nearly 7-fold improvement in CO2 photocatalytic reduction performance with CO2 conversion reaching an outstanding value of 86.9 μmol h −1 g −1, highlighting the importance of rational heterojunction design in facilitating reactant adsorption, charge transfer and reaction processes in photocatalysis. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: A new class of three-component heterojunction system for advanced CO2 reduction was synthesized. AuCu nanoprism was innovatively introduced as a charge transfer mediator in between ZIF-8 and 2D TiO2 . A remarkably high photocatalytic CO2 conversion of 86.9 μmol h −1 g −1 under simulated sunlight was obtained. 7-fold enhancement in CO2 photoreduction on the 3-component heterojunction compared to the composite of ZIF-8 and 2DT.