CO2 to solar fuel: design and reactivity of inorganic perovskites

Abstract

Carbon dioxide release by human activity is the major cause of global warming. Decreasing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is a challenge that needs to be addressed. In addition to their negative impact on the environment, the availability of petroleum-based fuel is decreasing. The photoconversion of CO2 into so-called green solar fuel is a possible alternative to reduce the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere aiming the limitation of greenhouse effect. Among the photocatalyst studied for these reactions, the perovskite-based appeared as one of the most promising class of materials. These materials possess unique optoelectronic properties and exhibit significant variability in terms of their dimensionality, structure, morphology, grain size, and tunable band gap, as well as the position of their valence band and conduction band. This review discusses both the classics and innovative perovskite synthesis methods such as solid-state reaction, hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis, hot injection or chemical precipitation. Then, the use of these materials for the photoreduction of CO2 into fuel such as formic acid, methanol and methane is detailed.