Photocatalytic CO₂ Conversion into Solar Fuels Using Carbon-Based Materials-A Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Catalysis

Background:

• Carbon nanomaterials offer unique properties for CO2 utilization, including high surface area and electrical conductivity.
• Pristine carbon's low photocatalytic efficiency stems from high photogenerated carrier recombination.
• Supporting materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and g-C3N4 are crucial for enhancing CO2 absorption and conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the development of efficient carbon-based nanomaterials for photocatalytic CO2 conversion into solar fuels.
• To explore the role of various carbon nanostructures in enhancing CO2 utilization efficiency.
• To identify promising carbon materials and morphologies for improved photocatalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on carbon-based nanomaterials for CO2 photoconversion.
• Analysis of different carbon nanostructures (0D, 1D, 2D, 3D) and their supporting roles.
• Investigation of composite materials combining carbon with metals and organometallic complexes.

Main Results:

• Carbon materials with diverse nanostructures are vital for electrocatalytic and photocatalytic CO2 utilization.
• Supporting carbon materials, often combined with other nanocomposites, improve CO2 absorption and conversion.
• Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) are frequently used supporting materials due to their multi-layered structure enhancing light harvesting.

Conclusions:

• Carbon-based nanomaterials are key to advancing CO2 utilization for solar fuel production.
• Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) demonstrate significant potential as supporting materials for CO2 reduction.
• Nanostructured hollow sphere morphologies in MWCNs can improve light harvesting and protect metal dopants.