Vibration-driven Reduction of CO2 to Acetate with 100 % Selectivity by SnS Nanobelt Piezocatalysts.

Abstract

Converting CO2 into high-value C2 chemicals such as acetate with high selectivity and efficiency is a critical issue in renewable energy storage. Herein, for the first time we present a vibration-driven piezocatalysis with tin(II) monosulfide (SnS) nanobelts for conversion of CO2 to acetate with 100 % selectivity, and the highest production rate (2.21 mM h-1 ) compared with reported catalysts. Mechanism analysis reveal that the polarized charges triggered by periodic mechanical vibration promote the adsorption and activation of CO2 . The electron transfer can be facilitated due to built-in electric field, decreased band gap and work function of SnS under stress. Remarkably, reduced distance between active sites leads to charge enrichment on Sn sites, promoting the C-C coupling, reducing the energy barriers of the rate determining step. It puts forward a bran-new strategy for converting CO2 into high-value C2 products with efficient, low-cost and environment-friendly piezocatalysis utilizing mechanical energy.