Implanting CoOx Clusters on Ordered Macroporous ZnO Nanoreactors for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

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Author(s)

  • Yan Wang
  • Guilan Fan
  • Sibo Wang
  • Yunxiang Li
  • Yan Guo
  • Xiaojun Gu

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Article number2204865
Journal / PublicationAdvanced Materials
Volume34
Issue number42
Online published22 Sept 2022
Publication statusPublished - 20 Oct 2022
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

Despite suffering from slow charge-carrier mobility, photocatalysis is still an attractive and promising technology toward producing green fuels from solar energy. An effective approach is to design and fabricate advanced architectural materials as photocatalysts to enhance the performance of semiconductor-based photocatalytic systems. Herein, metal–organic-framework-derived hierarchically ordered porous nitrogen and carbon co-doped ZnO (N-C-ZnO) structures are developed as nanoreactors with decorated CoOx nanoclusters for CO2-to-CO conversion driven by visible light. Introduction of hierarchical nanoarchitectures with highly ordered interconnected meso–macroporous channels shows beneficial properties for photocatalytic reduction reactions, including enhanced mobility of charge carriers throughout the highly accessible framework, maximized exposure of active sites, and inhibited recombination of photoinduced charge carriers. Density functional theory calculations further reveal the key role of CoOx nanoclusters with high affinity to CO2 molecules, and the Co-O bonds formed on the surface of the composite exhibit stronger charge redistribution. As a result, the obtained CoOx/N-C-ZnO demonstrates enhanced photocatalysis performance in terms of high CO yield and long-term stability. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Research Area(s)

  • CO2 reduction, hollow structures, nanoclusters, ordered porous structures, photocatalysis

Citation Format(s)

Implanting CoOx Clusters on Ordered Macroporous ZnO Nanoreactors for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction. / Wang, Yan; Fan, Guilan; Wang, Sibo et al.
In: Advanced Materials, Vol. 34, No. 42, 2204865, 20.10.2022.

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review