Open AccessReS 2 Nanosheets with In Situ Formed Sulfur Vacancies for Efficient and Highly Selective Photocatalytic CO 2 Reduction
Author(s) -
Zhang Yanzhao,
Yao Dazhi,
Xia Bingquan,
Xu Haolan,
Tang Youhong,
Davey Kenneth,
Ran Jingrun,
Qiao Shi-Zhang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
small science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2688-4046
DOI - 10.1002/smsc.202000052
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , heterojunction , materials science , semiconductor , selectivity , catalysis , solar fuel , artificial photosynthesis , adsorption , nanotechnology , absorption edge , electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide , absorption (acoustics) , chemical engineering , photochemistry , chemistry , optoelectronics , carbon monoxide , band gap , organic chemistry , engineering , composite material
Artificial photosynthesis can provide valuable fuels and positively impact greenhouse effects, via transforming carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O) into hydrocarbons using semiconductor‐based photocatalysts. However, the inefficient charge‐carrier dissociation and transportation as well as the lack of surface active sites are two major drawbacks to boosting their activity and selectivity in photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. Recently, ReS 2 has received tremendous attention in the photocatalysis area due to its intriguing physicochemical properties. Nevertheless, the application of ReS 2 in photocatalytic CO 2 reduction is scarcely covered. Herein, a heterojunction formed between ReS 2 nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles is reported, achieving an apparently raised CO production of 7.1 μmol g −1 and high selectivity of 93.4%. The as‐prepared ReS 2 /CdS heterojunction exhibits strengthened visible‐light absorption, high‐efficiency electron–hole pair separation/transfer, and increased adsorption/activation/reduction of CO 2 on in situ created sulfur vacancies of ReS 2 , thus all favoring CO 2 photoreduction. These are corroborated by advanced characterization techniques, e.g., synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure, and density functional theory–based computations. The findings will be of broad interest in practical design and fabrication of surface active sites and semiconductor heterojunctions for applications in catalysis, electronics, and optoelectronics.