Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction to hydrocarbons using FPS@Ph-g-C₃N₄-Ho₃Fe₅O₁₂ under visible-light irradiation

The selective conversion of CO₂ into hydrocarbon fuels through photocatalytic methods offers a sustainable route for carbon utilization and energy storage. In this study, a novel hybrid photoelectrocatalyst, FPS@Ph-g-C₃N₄-Ho₃Fe₅O₁₂, was developed to enhance CO₂ reduction efficiency under visible light assisted electrochemical conditions. The integration of g-C₃N₄ with the Ho₃Fe₅O₁₂ garnet and FPS support enables synergistic improvements in light harvesting, charge separation, and surface reactivity. The g-C₃N₄ layer provides a high surface area conductive interface, promoting active site availability and facilitating multi electron transfer processes crucial for hydrocarbon formation. This hierarchical structure effectively drives the reduction of CO₂ into methane and higher order hydrocarbons through mechanisms involving deoxygenation and C-C coupling. The evolution of product profiles over time provides insights into the reaction pathways and intermediate species. The results highlight the potential of FPS@g-C₃N₄-Ho₃Fe₅O₁₂ as a robust and efficient system for visible light driven CO₂ conversion toward valuable hydrocarbon fuels.