Tailoring the electronic structure of In2O3/C photocatalysts for enhanced CO2 reduction

Abstract

Photoreduction of CO₂ into value-added fuels under mild conditions is a promising route to relieve the pressure from extensive CO₂ emission and energy consumption, but the rational design of novel photocatalysts for efficient CO₂ reduction remains a big challenge. Herein, a series of transition metal doped In₂O₃/C (M = Fe, Cu, and Zn) photocatalysts are prepared based on a bimetallic metal–organic framework template, where the rearrangement of electron density distribution is facilely achieved via doping metal atoms. Correspondingly, the broadened light-harvesting scope, charge transfer rate, and produced intermediates in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction can be optimized. In particular, Cu–In₂O₃/C exhibits a largely improved CO yield with a high selectivity, which is superior to that of most of the previously reported photocatalysts derived from MOFs. This work thus provides an efficient approach for tailoring the electronic structure of photocatalysts, which shows promising applications in carbon cycling.