Highly efficient and selective photocatalytic CO₂ to CO conversion in aqueous solution.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Developing efficient catalysts for carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion is crucial for sustainable energy and environmental remediation.
• Non-noble metal complexes offer a cost-effective alternative to precious metal catalysts in CO2 reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate novel molecular complexes with non-noble metal centers for CO2 reduction.
• To identify the most effective complex for photocatalytic CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) conversion.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of five distinct molecular complexes featuring different non-noble metal centers.
• Photocatalytic evaluation of synthesized complexes for CO2 reduction in aqueous media.
• Analysis of catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability.

Main Results:

• The cobalt (Co)-based molecular complex exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance among the synthesized compounds.
• The Co-based complex achieved a high turnover number (TON) of 41,017 and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 3.80 s^-1.
• High selectivity (87%) for carbon monoxide (CO) production was observed, indicating efficient CO2 to CO conversion.

Conclusions:

• The Co-based molecular complex is a highly promising catalyst for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO in aqueous solutions.
• This study highlights the potential of non-noble metal complexes in developing efficient and selective CO2 conversion technologies.