FeVO4 nanowires for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is of great significance for alleviating environmental pollution and energy shortages. Double transition metal oxide semiconductors are a commonly used material library in the field of photocatalysis. However, there are a few reports about bimetallic oxide photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction by using solar energy. Here, we report a bimetallic oxide catalyst FeVO₄ with durable photocatalytic CO₂ reduction activity. Band structures of the FeVO₄ semiconductor were investigated by first-principles calculations. FeVO₄ is an indirect band gap semiconductor with a band gap of approximately 2.25 eV, the absorption edge of which can reach 550 nm. The morphology of the FeVO₄ catalyst can be tuned by using various synthesis methods. The FeVO₄ catalyst with a nanowire structure was prepared by a hydrothermal method. The FeVO₄ nanowires have a larger specific surface area and more oxygen vacancies than FeVO₄ particle samples synthesized by solid-phase sintering. Exposure to numerous basic active sites facilitates the adsorption and activation of CO₂, thereby greatly improving the catalytic performance of FeVO₄ nanowires for CO₂ reduction.