Boosting the visible light photo-thermal catalytic performance of α-Bi2O3 by tuning Fe doping amount in carbonylation of isobutyl amine with CO2

Abstract

CO2 capture and utilization are viewed as the attractive route to promote carbon neutrality. The α-Bi2O3 as a high-performance catalyst of the carbonylation of isobutyl amine with CO2 has been reported in our previous work. Herein, Fe-doped α-Bi2O3 with different molar ratios of Fe/Bi (Fex%-Bi2O3, x = 1, 3, 5, and 7:100) are further successfully synthesized and used firstly as photo, thermal and photo-thermal catalysts in the carbonylation of isobutyl amine with CO2 to N,N′-diisobutylurea. The result demonstrates the catalytic abilities of α-Bi2O3 are significantly boosted by Fe doping and follows an order of Fe5%-Bi2O3 > Fe3%-Bi2O3≫Fe1%-Bi2O3 > Fe7%-Bi2O3 > Fe0%-Bi2O3. Such differences in photo-thermal catalytic performances of Bi2O3 with different Fe doping amounts could be closely linked with the content of both oxygen vacancies and new impurity energy levels in Fex%-Bi2O3 based on the further analysis of characterization such as XRD, SEM, Raman, BET, XPS, EPR, UV–vis, PL and TPC.