{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Photo-to-Thermal Conversion Harnessing Low-Energy Photons Renders Efficient Solar CO2 Reduction.
{Author}: Guo C;Jiang E;Chen Q;Li W;Chen Y;Jia S;Zhou Y;Liu Z;Lin X;Huo P;Li C;Ng YH;Crittenden JC;Zhu Z;Yan Y;
{Journal}: ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jul 4
{Factor}: 10.383
{DOI}: 10.1021/acsami.4c03790
{Abstract}: Efficient photocatalytic solar CO2 reduction presents a challenge because visible-to-near-infrared (NIR) low-energy photons account for over 50% of solar energy. Consequently, they are unable to instigate the high-energy reaction necessary for dissociating C═O bonds in CO2. In this study, we present a novel methodology leveraging the often-underutilized photo-to-thermal (PTT) conversion. Our unique two-dimensional (2D) carbon layer-embedded Mo2C (Mo2C-Cx) MXene catalyst in black color showcases superior near-infrared (NIR) light absorption. This enables the efficient utilization of low-energy photons via the PTT conversion mechanism, thereby dramatically enhancing the rate of CO2 photoreduction. Under concentrated sunlight, the optimal Mo2C-C0.5 catalyst achieves CO2 reduction reaction rates of 12000-15000 μmol·g-1·h-1 to CO and 1000-3200 μmol·g-1·h-1 to CH4. Notably, the catalyst delivers solar-to-carbon fuel (STF) conversion efficiencies between 0.0108% to 0.0143% and the STFavg = 0.0123%, the highest recorded values under natural sunlight conditions. This innovative approach accentuates the exploitation of low-frequency, low-energy photons for the enhancement of photocatalytic CO2 reduction.