Three-dimensional porous N-doped graphitic carbon framework with embedded CoO for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract

A facile polymer thermal treatment method has been employed to fabricate 3D porous N-doped graphitic carbon frameworks with embedded CoO (CoO@N-GCs), which are employed as catalysts for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. The experimental results demonstrate that the CoO@N-GC-500 catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance and stability for the photoreduction of CO2 in water. Under visible light irradiation, the maximum yields for CH4 and CO are 10.03 μmol/(h·g) and CO is 5.16 μmol/(h·g), respectively. The high photocatalytic performance of CoO@N-GC-500 is attributed to the efficient separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, large specific surface area, and strong visible light absorption capacity. This work paves a new way for the practical application of the CoO catalysts in artificial photosynthesis.