Photocatalytic Optical Hollow Fiber with Enhanced Visible-light-driven CO₂ Reduction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Developing efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts for CO2 reduction is crucial for sustainable energy and chemical production.
• Graphene-like nitrogen-doped composites and hollow optical fibers offer potential for enhanced photocatalytic activity and light utilization.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) are promising materials for photocatalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a visible-light-driven CO2 reduction optical fiber using graphene-like nitrogen-doped composites and hollow quartz optical fibers.
• To achieve enhanced activity, selectivity, and light utilization for CO2 photoreduction.
• To investigate the photocatalytic performance of a TMOF/CNNS composite with an S-type heterojunction coated on an optical fiber.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of graphene-like nitrogen-doped composites (TMOF/CNNS) via electrostatic self-assembly of a lead-based metal-organic framework (TMOF-10-NH2) and g-C3N4 nanosheet (CNNS).
• Coating the TMOF/CNNS photocatalyst onto hollow quartz optical fibers.
• Characterization of the photocatalyst's properties, including bandgap energy, photoinduced capability, and charge transfer rate.
• Testing the CO2 photoreduction performance under visible light irradiation (380-780 nm) with controlled CO2 concentration and humidity.

Main Results:

• The TMOF/CNNS photocatalyst exhibits an S-type heterojunction with a bandgap energy of 2.15 eV, facilitating efficient photoinduced charge separation.
• The composite demonstrates high photogenerated electron-hole pair yield and charge transfer rate.
• The TMOF/CNNS-coated optical fiber achieved high CO2 photoreduction and selectivity for CO production under optimized conditions (e.g., 90 vol% CO2, 88% RH).
• TMOF component aids CO desorption, enhancing selectivity for CO production.

Conclusions:

• The developed photocatalytic hollow optical fiber is an effective platform for enhancing light utilization efficiency.
• This approach provides an efficient method for selective CO2 reduction to CO using visible light.
• The study presents a promising strategy for designing advanced photocatalytic systems for CO2 conversion.