Cu-doped SnS₂ nanosheets with superior visible-light photocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction utilizing solar energy is a clean, environment-friendly strategy converting CO₂ into hydrocarbon fuels to solve the energy crisis and climate issues. Herein, we report the synthesis of Cu-doped SnS₂ nanosheets via a simple hydrothermal method. The prepared Cu-doped SnS₂ composite displays superior photocatalytic CO₂ reduction activity. The optimized CH₃OH yield of the composite is two times higher than that of pure SnS₂. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is attributed to effective charge separation resulting from the thinner nanosheets and delocalization of electrons from SnS₂ to Cu, high visible light utilization efficiency, enlarged S_BET, negative shift of the flat-band potential and reduced charge transfer resistance with the introduction of Cu atoms. This work suggests the potential application of Cu-doped SnS₂ in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.