Urchin-like band-matched Fe2O3@In2S3 hybrid as an efficient photocatalyst for CO2 reduction

Abstract

Herein, an urchin-like Fe2O3@In2S3 hybrid composite is designed and synthesized using a facile process. The composite efficiently harvests light in both the ultraviolet and visible regions, and the unique hierarchical structure provides several advantages for photocatalytic applications: (i) a suitable band-matching structure and broadband-light absorbing capacity enable the reduction of CO2 into hydrocarbon, (ii) the extensive network of interfacial contact between nano-sized Fe2O3 and In2S3 significantly increases the separation of charge carriers and enhances the utilization of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and (iii) an abundance of surface oxygen vacancies provide numerous active sites for CO2 molecule adsorption. The optimized Fe2O3@In2S3 composite generated CO from the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 at a rate of 42.83 μmol·g−1·h−1, and no signs of deactivation were observed during continued testing for 32 h under 300 W Xe lamp irradiation.