Photoelectrochemical CO 2 Reduction

Abstract

Global warming caused by the rising atmospheric CO2 level and energy shortage has become increasingly serious problems. Solar- or electricity-driven CO2 reduction provides a promising route to confront the predicaments. The last chapter introduces the photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Meantime, photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO2 reduction system is also a promising avenue for the solar energy conversion to chemical feedstock, and the PEC reduction of CO2 system can integrate and optimize the merits of both photocatalysis and electrocatalysis to improve the performance of CO2 reduction with a high efficiency and excellent selectivity. Past decades have witnessed the outstanding development of PEC CO2 reduction. In this chapter, we discuss the recent advanced design for PEC CO2 reduction. Firstly, some basic principles and reaction parameters are summarized for the PEC CO2 reduction, which could be used as basic evaluation to evaluate the excellence of catalytic system. Thereafter, we would examine the recent research advances about the catalyst materials on PEC CO2 reduction, for example, (i) some semiconductors, including oxide semiconductors, non-oxide semiconductors, and chalcogenides semiconductors; (ii) cocatalysts, such as metal nanoparticles and metal complex cocatalysts; (iii) hybrid semiconductors, e.g. conductive polymers, enzymatic biocatalysts, organic molecules, etc.; (iv) some newly developed setups for PEC CO2 reduction are sketched; and (v) the challenges and key factors are put forward for the further development of PEC CO2 reduction, which could effectively improve the designs for setups and deeply enhance the systematic understanding for mechanisms.