Boosting the photocatalytic activity and stability of Cu₂O for CO₂ conversion by LaTiO₂N

Cu₂O is one of the most promising photocatalysts for visible light driven CO₂ conversion, but its practical application in artificial photosynthesis is challenged to severe photocorrosion. Herein, a Cu₂O/LaTiO₂N composite is successfully synthesized by loading Cu₂O on LaTiO₂N through an ascorbic acid reduction method, which significantly improves the stability and activity of Cu₂O for visible light driven photocatalytic CO₂ conversion, and shows higher photocatalytic performance than most Cu₂O-based photocatalysts reported. The superior photocatalytic performance is attributed to the formation of type-II heterojunction between Cu₂O and LaTiO₂N, which facilitates the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes. This work provides an effective strategy for the construction of stable and efficient Cu₂O-based photocatalysts.