Photocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Hydrocarbons

Abstract

The significant upward rise in atmospheric CO2 level through combustion of fossil fuel, deforestation, and human activates could contribute to severe environmental issues like greenhouse effect and climate change. Conversion of CO2 into chemical fuels or hydrocarbons is an effective way for mitigating the level of CO2 in the atmosphere, producing value-added products and improving energy security in the light of depletion of carbon-based energy sources. Besides, carbon dioxide is an attractive starting precursor material for producing chemical fuel, owing to its abundance, low cost, and low toxicity. Due to its stability, extra energy is favored to transform CO2 into hydrocarbon or chemical fuel. Various techniques have been employed for CO2 conversion which includes chemical, thermal, biological, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic conversion. Among such methods, the application of photocatalysis in carbon dioxide conversion plays a significant role to resolve energy crisis and global warming. The process employs light-driven photocatalytic transformation of carbon dioxide to value-added chemical fuels including methane, carbon monoxide, formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol.