Dynamic Reconstruction of Photoswitchable Bismuth Molybdate for Solar-Driven CO₂ Reduction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Photothermal synergistic reaction mechanisms are challenging due to complex surface reconstruction under coupled optical and thermal fields.
• Dynamic reconstruction of active sites is crucial for efficient catalytic reactions under real-world conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic behavior of photothermal active sites in real-time using in situ technologies.
• To elucidate the mechanism of photothermal synergy in Bi2MoO6 catalysts for CO2 conversion.

Main Methods:

• In situ technologies to capture dynamic behavior of photothermal active sites.
• Study of photoswitchable Bi(3-δ)+ site formation and its recyclable cycle.
• Analysis of near-infrared (NIR) light-induced electron transitions and their effect on CO2 conversion.

Main Results:

• Identified a recyclable cycle of "photoswitchable formation─single-electron transfer─self-healing filling" for the Bi(3-δ)+ site.
• Demonstrated that NIR light-induced electron transitions accelerate CO2 dissociation.
• Observed a 5-fold increase in catalytic activity (221.4 μmol/(g·h)) with the photoactivated Bi2MoO6 catalyst.

Conclusions:

• The photothermal synergy mechanism involving dynamic active site reconstruction significantly enhances catalytic activity.
• Understanding the dynamic behavior of active sites provides insights for designing next-generation photocatalysts.
• This work offers a new perspective for efficient CO2 conversion under complex photothermal conditions.