Highly Selective and Efficient Solar-Light-Driven CO₂ Conversion with an Ambient-Stable 2D/2D Co₂ P@BP/g-C₃ N₄...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Solar-driven carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion is crucial for sustainable energy and environmental management.
• Current photocatalysts face challenges in selectivity and activity for CO2 reduction.
• Developing stable and efficient photocatalysts is essential for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize an ambient-stable 2D/2D Co2P@BP/g-C3N4 heterojunction.
• To evaluate its performance in highly selective and efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction.
• To investigate the underlying mechanisms for enhanced photocatalytic activity and selectivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 2D/2D Co2P@BP/g-C3N4 heterojunction.
• Photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction experiments.
• Ambient stability testing over 180 days.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

• The Co2P@BP/g-C3N4 heterojunction achieved ≈96% selectivity for CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) conversion.
• The CO generation rate was 16.21 µmol g-1 h-1, 5.4 times higher than pristine g-C3N4.
• The photocatalyst demonstrated excellent ambient stability, with no oxidation of black phosphorus (BP) observed over 180 days.
• DFT calculations and experiments confirmed reduced energy barriers and enhanced charge transfer.

Conclusions:

• The designed Co2P@BP/g-C3N4 heterojunction is a highly selective and efficient photocatalyst for solar-driven CO2 conversion.
• The material's performance is attributed to optimized energy barriers and rapid charge transfer at heterointerfaces.
• This work presents a promising strategy for developing stable and efficient photocatalysts for renewable energy applications.