CO2 photoconversion into hydrocarbon solar fuels by engineered
semiconductors is considered as a feasible plan to address global
energy requirements in times of global warming. In this regard, three-dimensional
yolk@shell hydrogenated TiO2/Co–Al layered double
hydroxide (3D Y@S TiO2–x
/LDH) architecture
was successfully assembled by sequential solvothermal, hydrogen treatment,
and hydrothermal preparation steps. This architecture revealed a high
efficiency for the photoreduction of CO2 to solar fuels,
without a noble metal cocatalyst. The time-dependent experiment indicated
that the production of CH3OH was almost selective until
2 h (up to 251 μmol/gcat. h), whereas CH4 was produced gradually by increasing the time of reaction to 12
h (up to 63 μmol/gcat. h). This significant efficiency
can be ascribed to the engineering of 3D Y@S TiO2–x
/LDH architecture with considerable CO2 sorption ability in mesoporous yolk@shell structure and LDH interlayer
spaces. Also, oxygen vacancies in TiO2–x
could provide excess sites for sorption, activation, and conversion
of CO2. Furthermore, the generated Ti3+ ions
in the Y@S TiO2 structure as well as connecting of structure
with LDH plates can facilitate the charge separation and decrease
the band gap of nanoarchitecture to the visible region.
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