Visible‐Light Photochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO Coupled to Hydrocarbon Dehydrogenation

Research on the photochemical reduction of CO₂, initiated already 40 years ago, has with few exceptions been performed by using amines as sacrificial reductants. Hydrocarbons are high‐volume chemicals whose dehydrogenation is of interest, so the coupling of a CO₂ photoreduction to a hydrocarbon‐photodehydrogenation reaction seems a worthwhile concept to explore. A three‐component construct was prepared including graphitic carbon nitride (g‐CN) as a visible‐light photoactive semiconductor, a polyoxometalate (POM) that functions as an electron acceptor to improve hole–electron charge separation, and an electron donor to a rhenium‐based CO₂ reduction catalyst. Upon photoactivation of g‐CN, a cascade is initiated by dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons coupled to the reduction of the polyoxometalate. Visible‐light photoexcitation of the reduced polyoxometalate enables electron transfer to the rhenium‐based catalyst active for the selective reduction of CO₂ to CO. The construct was characterized by zeta potential, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). An experimental Z‐scheme diagram is presented based on electrochemical measurements and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The conceptual advance should promote study into more active systems.     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene with CO2 over Al-MCM-41-supported vanadia catalysts

Catalytic performance of Al-MCM-41-supported vanadia catalysts (V/Al-MCM-41) with different V loading was investigated for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene (ST) with CO₂ (CO₂-ODEB). For comparison, pure silica MCM-41 was also used as support for vanadia catalyst. The catalysts were characterized by N₂ adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) pyridine-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, H₂-temperature-programmed reduction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-Raman, and diffuse reflectance (DR) UV–vis spectroscopy. The results indicate that the catalytic behavior and the nature of V species depend strongly on the V loading and the support properties. Compared with the MCM-41-supported catalyst, the Al-MCM-41-supported vanadia catalyst exhibits much higher catalytic activity and stability along with a high ST selectivity (>98%). The superior catalytic performance of the present V/Al-MCM-41 catalyst can be attributed to the Al-MCM-41 support being more favorable for the high dispersion of V species and the stabilization of active V⁵⁺ species. Together with the characterization results of XRD, TGA, and DR UV–Vis spectroscopy, the deep reduction of V⁵⁺ into V³⁺ during CO₂-ODEB is the main reason for the deactivation of the supported vanadia catalyst, while the coke deposition has a less important impact on the catalyst stability.     

Electrocatalytic and Solar‐Driven CO2 Reduction to CO with a Molecular Manganese Catalyst Immobilized on Mesoporous TiO2

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to CO was achieved with a novel Mn complex, fac‐[MnBr(4,4′‐bis(phosphonic acid)‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(CO)₃] ( MnP ), immobilized on a mesoporous TiO₂ electrode. A benchmark turnover number of 112±17 was attained with these TiO₂| MnP electrodes after 2 h electrolysis. Post‐catalysis IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the molecular structure of the MnP catalyst was retained. UV/vis spectroscopy confirmed that an active Mn–Mn dimer was formed during catalysis on the TiO₂ electrode, showing the dynamic formation of a catalytically active dimer on an electrode surface. Finally, we combined the light‐protected TiO₂| MnP cathode with a CdS‐sensitized photoanode to enable solar‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction with the light‐sensitive MnP catalyst.     

Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction with a Half‐Sandwich Cobalt Catalyst: Selectivity towards CO

We present herein a Cp*Co(III)‐half‐sandwich catalyst system for electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction in aqueous acetonitrile solution. In addition to an electron‐donating Cp* ligand (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl), the catalyst featured a proton‐responsive pyridyl‐benzimidazole‐based N,N‐bidentate ligand. Owing to the presence of a relatively electron‐rich Co center, the reduced Co(I)‐state was made prone to activate the electrophilic carbon center of CO₂. At the same time, the proton‐responsive benzimidazole scaffold was susceptible to facilitate proton‐transfer during the subsequent reduction of CO₂. The above factors rendered the present catalyst active toward producing CO as the major product over the other potential 2e/2H⁺ reduced product HCOOH, in contrast to the only known similar half‐sandwich CpCo(III)‐based CO₂‐reduction catalysts which produced HCOOH selectively. The system exhibited a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of about 70% while the overpotential for CO production was found to be 0.78 V, as determined by controlled‐potential electrolysis.     

Mechanistic Elucidations of Highly Dispersed Metalloporphyrin Metal-Organic Framework Catalysts for CO2 Electroreduction

Immobilization of porphyrin complexes into crystalline metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) enables high exposure of porphyrin active sites for CO₂ electroreduction. Herein, well-dispersed iron-porphyrin-based MOF (PCN-222(Fe)) on carbon-based electrodes revealed optimal turnover frequencies for CO₂ electroreduction to CO at 1 wt.% catalyst loading, beyond which the intrinsic catalyst activity declined due to CO₂ mass transport limitations. In situ Raman suggested that PCN-222(Fe) maintained its structure under electrochemical bias, permitting mechanistic investigations. These revealed a stepwise electron transfer-proton transfer mechanism for CO₂ electroreduction on PCN-222(Fe) electrodes, which followed a shift from a rate-limiting electron transfer to CO₂ mass transfer as the potential increased from −0.6 V to −1.0 V vs. RHE. Our results demonstrate how intrinsic catalytic investigations and in situ spectroscopy are needed to elucidate CO₂ electroreduction mechanisms on PCN-222(Fe) MOFs.     

Molybdenum Carbide as Alternative Catalysts to Precious Metals for Highly Selective Reduction of CO2 to CO

Rising atmospheric CO₂ is expected to have negative effects on the global environment from its role in climate change and ocean acidification. Utilizing CO₂ as a feedstock to make valuable chemicals is potentially more desirable than sequestration. A substantial reduction of CO₂ levels requires a large‐scale CO₂ catalytic conversion process, which in turn requires the discovery of low‐cost catalysts. Results from the current study demonstrate the feasibility of using the non‐precious metal material molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C) as an active and selective catalyst for CO₂ conversion by H₂.     

Elucidating the Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Reaction over a Model Single-Atom Nickel Catalyst

Designing effective electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is an appealing approach to tackling the challenges posed by rising CO₂ levels and realizing a closed carbon cycle. However, fundamental understanding of the complicated CO₂RR mechanism in CO₂ electrocatalysis is still lacking because model systems are limited. We have designed a model nickel single-atom catalyst (Ni SAC) with a uniform structure and well-defined Ni-N₄ moiety on a conductive carbon support with which to explore the electrochemical CO₂RR. Operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and near-ambient X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealed that Ni⁺ in the Ni SAC was highly active for CO₂ activation, and functioned as an authentic catalytically active site for the CO₂RR. Furthermore, through combination with a kinetics study, the rate-determining step of the CO₂RR was determined to be *CO₂⁻+H⁺→*COOH. This study tackles the four challenges faced by the CO₂RR; namely, activity, selectivity, stability, and dynamics.     

Identifying Different Types of Catalysts for CO2 Reduction by Ethane through Dry Reforming and Oxidative Dehydrogenation

The recent shale gas boom combined with the requirement to reduce atmospheric CO₂ have created an opportunity for using both raw materials (shale gas and CO₂) in a single process. Shale gas is primarily made up of methane, but ethane comprises about 10 % and reserves are underutilized. Two routes have been investigated by combining ethane decomposition with CO₂ reduction to produce products of higher value. The first reaction is ethane dry reforming which produces synthesis gas (CO+H₂). The second route is oxidative dehydrogenation which produces ethylene using CO₂ as a soft oxidant. The results of this study indicate that the Pt/CeO₂ catalyst shows promise for the production of synthesis gas, while Mo₂C‐based materials preserve the C? C bond of ethane to produce ethylene. These findings are supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) characterization of the catalysts under in situ reaction conditions.     

Elucidating the Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Reaction over a Model Single‐Atom Nickel Catalyst

Designing effective electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is an appealing approach to tackling the challenges posed by rising CO₂ levels and realizing a closed carbon cycle. However, fundamental understanding of the complicated CO₂RR mechanism in CO₂ electrocatalysis is still lacking because model systems are limited. We have designed a model nickel single‐atom catalyst (Ni SAC) with a uniform structure and well‐defined Ni‐N₄ moiety on a conductive carbon support with which to explore the electrochemical CO₂RR. Operando X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and near‐ambient X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealed that Ni⁺ in the Ni SAC was highly active for CO₂ activation, and functioned as an authentic catalytically active site for the CO₂RR. Furthermore, through combination with a kinetics study, the rate‐determining step of the CO₂RR was determined to be *CO₂^?+H⁺→*COOH. This study tackles the four challenges faced by the CO₂RR; namely, activity, selectivity, stability, and dynamics.     

Dispersed Nickel Cobalt Oxyphosphide Nanoparticles Confined in Multichannel Hollow Carbon Fibers for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Materials for high‐efficiency photocatalytic CO₂ reduction are desirable for solar‐to‐carbon fuel conversion. Herein, highly dispersed nickel cobalt oxyphosphide nanoparticles (NiCoOP NPs) were confined in multichannel hollow carbon fibers (MHCFs) to construct the NiCoOP‐NPs@MHCFs catalysts for efficient CO₂ photoreduction. The synthesis involves electrospinning, phosphidation, and carbonization steps and permits facile tuning of chemical composition. In the catalyst, the mixed metal oxyphosphide NPs with ultrasmall size and high dispersion offer abundant catalytically active sites for redox reactions. At the same time, the multichannel hollow carbon matrix with high conductivity and open ends will effectively promote mass/charge transfer, improve CO₂ adsorption, and prevent the metal oxyphosphide NPs from aggregation. The optimized hetero‐metal oxyphosphide catalyst exhibits considerable activity for photosensitized CO₂ reduction, affording a high CO evolution rate of 16.6 μmol h^?1 (per 0.1 mg of catalyst).     

Study of Excited States and Electron Transfer of Semiconductor-Metal-Complex Hybrid Photocatalysts for CO2 Reduction by Using Picosecond Time-Resolved Spectroscopies

A semiconductor-metal-complex hybrid photocatalyst was previously reported for CO₂ reduction; this photocatalyst is composed of nitrogen-doped Ta₂O₅ as a semiconductor photosensitizer and a Ru complex as a CO₂ reduction catalyst, operating under visible light (>400 nm), with high selectivity for HCOOH formation of more than 75 %. The electron transfer from a photoactive semiconductor to the metal-complex catalyst is a key process for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction with hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, the excited-state dynamics of several hybrid photocatalysts are described by using time-resolved emission and infrared absorption spectroscopies to understand the mechanism of electron transfer from a semiconductor to the metal-complex catalyst. The results show that electron transfer from the semiconductor to the metal-complex catalyst does not occur directly upon photoexcitation, but that the photoexcited electron transfers to a new excited state. On the basis of the present results and previous reports, it is suggested that the excited state is a charge-transfer state located between shallow defects of the semiconductor and the metal-complex catalyst.     

In situ electrochemical dehydrogenation of ultrathin Co(OH)2 nanosheets for enhanced hydrogen evolution

Transition metal hydroxides/oxyhydroxides have recently emerged as highly active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water electrolysis, while have not yet been widely investigated for hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts owing to their unfavorable H*-adsorption, making it difficult to construct an overall-water-splitting cell for hydrogen production. In this work, we proposed a straightforward and effective approach to develop an efficient in-plane heterostructured CoOOH/Co(OH)₂ catalyst via in-situ electrochemical dehydrogenation method, in which the dehydrogenated –CoOOH and Co(OH)₂ at the surface synergistically boost the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics in base as confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Due to the in-situ dehydrogenation of ultrathin Co(OH)₂ nanosheets, the catalytic activity of the CoOOH/Co(OH)₂ heterostructures is progressively improved, which exhibit outstanding hydrogen-evolving activity in base requiring a low overpotential of 132 mV to afford 10 mA/cm² with very fast reaction kinetics after 60 h dehydrogenation. The gradually improved catalytic performance for the CoOOH/Co(OH)₂ is probably due to the enhanced H*-adsorption induced by the synergistic effect of heterostructures and better conductivity of CoOOH relative to electrically insulating Co(OH)₂. This work will open the opportunity for a new family of transition metal hydroxides/oxyhydroxides as active HER catalysts, and also highlight the importance of using in situ techniques to construct precious metal-free efficient catalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution.     

Understanding the Origin of Highly Selective CO2 Electroreduction to CO on Ni,N-doped Carbon Catalysts

Ni,N-doped carbon catalysts have shown promising catalytic performance for CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂R) to CO; this activity has often been attributed to the presence of nitrogen-coordinated, single Ni atom active sites. However, experimentally confirming Ni−N bonding and correlating CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) activity to these species has remained a fundamental challenge. We synthesized polyacrylonitrile-derived Ni,N-doped carbon electrocatalysts (Ni-PACN) with a range of pyrolysis temperatures and Ni loadings and correlated their electrochemical activity with extensive physiochemical characterization to rigorously address the origin of activity in these materials. We found that the CO₂R to CO partial current density increased with increased Ni content before plateauing at 2 wt % which suggests a dispersed Ni active site. These dispersed active sites were investigated by hard and soft X-ray spectroscopy, which revealed that pyrrolic nitrogen ligands selectively bind Ni atoms in a distorted square-planar geometry that strongly resembles the active sites of molecular metal–porphyrin catalysts.     

Ce助剂对V/SiO2催化CO2氧化乙苯脱氢性能的影响

通过N₂吸附、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、H₂程序升温还原(H₂-TPR)、CO₂程序升温脱附(CO₂-TPD)和热重分析(TGA)等多种表征手段和催化反应性能评价,研究了铈助剂的添加对V/SiO₂催化CO₂氧化乙苯脱氢性能的影响. 结果表明,Ce助剂不仅提高了催化剂活性组分分散性和氧化还原性能,抑制了钒物种的深度还原,而且增强了催化剂碱性和CO₂吸附能力,减缓了积炭生成,从而显著提高了V-Ce/SiO₂对CO₂氧化乙苯脱氢反应的催化活性和稳定性. 在本实验中,V(0.8)-Ce(0.25)/SiO₂催化剂表现出最佳的催化性能,苯乙烯(ST)收率可达55.6%,选择性为98.5%,反应12 h 后,催化剂活性基本不变,与惰性N₂气氛比较,CO₂明显促进了乙苯脱氢反应,归因于CO₂能保持催化剂表面钒物种的高价态.     

Covalently Grafting Graphene onto Si Photocathode to Expedite Aqueous Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction

Silicon semiconductor functionalized with molecular catalysts emerges as a promising cathode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). However, the limited kinetics and stabilities remains a major hurdle for the development of such composites. We herein report an assembling strategy of silicon photocathodes via chemically grafting a conductive graphene layer onto the surface of n⁺-p Si followed by catalyst immobilization. The covalently-linked graphene layer effectively enhances the photogenerated carriers transfer between the cathode and the reduction catalyst, and improves the operating stability of the electrode. Strikingly, we demonstrate that altering the stacking configuration of the immobilized cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP) catalyst through calcination can further enhance the electron transfer rate and the PEC performance. At the end, the graphene-coated Si cathode immobilized with CoTPP catalyst managed to sustain a stable 1-Sun photocurrent of −1.65 mA cm⁻² over 16 h for CO production in water at a near neutral potential of −0.1 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. This represents a remarkable improvement of PEC CO₂RR performance in contrast to the reported photocathodes functionalized with molecular catalysts.     

Photochemical Reduction of Low Concentrations of CO2 in a Porous Coordination Polymer with a Ruthenium(II)–CO Complex

Direct use of low pressures of CO₂ as a C1 source without concentration from gas mixtures is of great interest from an energy‐saving viewpoint. Porous heterogeneous catalysts containing both adsorption and catalytically active sites are promising candidates for such applications. Here, we report a porous coordination polymer (PCP)‐based catalyst, PCP‐Ru^II composite, bearing a Ru^II‐CO complex active for CO₂ reduction. The PCP‐Ru^II composite showed improved CO₂ adsorption behavior at ambient temperature. In the photochemical reduction of CO₂ the PCP‐Ru^II composite produced CO, HCOOH, and H₂. Catalytic activity was comparable with the corresponding homogeneous Ru^II catalyst and ranks among the highest of known PCP‐based catalysts. Furthermore, catalytic activity was maintained even under a 5 % CO₂/Ar gas mixture, revealing a synergistic effect between the adsorption and catalytically active sites within the PCP‐Ru^II composite.     

Improving the Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to CO through Immobilisation of a Molecular Re Catalyst on TiO2

The photocatalytic activity of phosphonated Re complexes, [Re(2,2′‐bipyridine‐4,4′‐bisphosphonic acid) (CO)₃(L)] (ReP; L=3‐picoline or bromide) immobilised on TiO₂ nanoparticles is reported. The heterogenised Re catalyst on the semiconductor, ReP–TiO₂ hybrid, displays an improvement in CO₂ reduction photocatalysis. A high turnover number (TON) of 48 mol_CO mol_Re^?1 is observed in DMF with the electron donor triethanolamine at λ>420 nm. ReP–TiO₂ compares favourably to previously reported homogeneous systems and is the highest TON reported to date for a CO₂‐reducing Re photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is even observed with ReP–TiO₂ at wavelengths of λ>495 nm. Infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies confirm that an intact ReP catalyst is present on the TiO₂ surface before and during catalysis. Transient absorption spectroscopy suggests that the high activity upon heterogenisation is due to an increase in the lifetime of the immobilised anionic Re intermediate (t_{50 %}>1 s for ReP–TiO₂ compared with t_{50 %}=60 ms for ReP in solution) and immobilisation might also reduce the formation of inactive Re dimers. This study demonstrates that the activity of a homogeneous photocatalyst can be improved through immobilisation on a metal oxide surface by favourably modifying its photochemical kinetics.     

MgFe0.1Al1.9O4 的合成及其催化乙苯与 CO2 的氧化脱氢反应

 以柠檬酸为络合剂, 采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了具有尖晶石结构的 MgFe_0.1Al_1.9O₄ 催化剂, 并将其用于催化乙苯与 CO₂ 氧化脱氢反应. 运用 X 射线衍射、X 射线能量色散光谱分析、红外光谱、热重-差热、N₂ 吸附-脱附和 H₂ 程序升温还原等技术对催化剂进行了表征. 结果表明, 在 650 ºC 以上焙烧即可制得结构确定、组成均一的 Mg-Fe-Al-O 复合氧化物催化剂, 其中 Fe 物种主要以同晶取代的形式存在于尖晶石骨架中. 随着焙烧温度的升高, 尖晶石结晶度提高, Fe 物种还原能力下降, 催化剂晶粒度增大, 比表面积降低. 700 ºC 焙烧制备的 MgFe_0.1Al_1.9O₄ 具有较好的催化乙苯与 CO₂ 氧化脱氢反应活性和稳定性.     

Coupling Benzylamine Oxidation with CO2 Photoconversion to Ethanol over a Black Phosphorus and Bismuth Tungstate S-Scheme Heterojunction

Photoconversion of CO₂ and H₂O into ethanol is an ideal strategy to achieve carbon neutrality. However, the production of ethanol with high activity and selectivity is challenging owing to the less efficient reduction half-reaction involving multi-step proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), a slow C−C coupling process, and sluggish water oxidation half-reaction. Herein, a two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) S-scheme heterojunction consisting of black phosphorus and Bi₂WO₆ (BP/BWO) was constructed for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction coupling with benzylamine (BA) oxidation. The as-prepared BP/BWO catalyst exhibits a superior photocatalytic performance toward CO₂ reduction, with a yield of 61.3 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for ethanol (selectivity of 91 %).In situ spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations reveal that S-scheme heterojunction can effectively promote photogenerated carrier separation via the Bi−O−P bridge to accelerate the PCET process. Meanwhile, electron-rich BP acts as the active site and plays a vital role in the process of C−C coupling. In addition, the substitution of BA oxidation for H₂O oxidation can further enhance the photocatalytic performance of CO₂ reduction to C₂H₅OH. This work opens a new horizon for exploring novel heterogeneous photocatalysts in CO₂ photoconversion to C₂H₅OH based on cooperative photoredox systems.     

Selective Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Aqueous CO2 to CO by Solvated Electrons

Reduction of CO₂ by direct one‐electron activation is extraordinarily difficult because of the ?1.9 V reduction potential of CO₂. Demonstrated herein is reduction of aqueous CO₂ to CO with greater than 90 % product selectivity by direct one‐electron reduction to CO₂^.? by solvated electrons. Illumination of inexpensive diamond substrates with UV light leads to the emission of electrons directly into water, where they form solvated electrons and induce reduction of CO₂ to CO₂^.?. Studies using diamond were supported by studies using aqueous iodide ion (I^?), a chemical source of solvated electrons. Both sources produced CO with high selectivity and minimal formation of H₂. The ability to initiate reduction reactions by emitting electrons directly into solution without surface adsorption enables new pathways which are not accessible using conventional electrochemical or photochemical processes.