Core@shell-structured catalysts based on Mg-O-Cu bond for highly selective photoreduction of carbon dioxide to methane

It is still challenging for selectively and efficiently photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into desirable energy-rich carbon compounds. Herein, a robust noble metal free photocatalyst was reported for selective reduction of CO 2 to CH 4 using MgO-coated Cu 2 O composite based on Mg-O-Cu bond. The nanosphere MgO greatly enhanced the photo-corrosion resistance with good cycling stability. Meanwhile, Cu 2 O effectively undergoes the photoreduction of CO 2 for CH 4 production under visible-light irradiation with the selectivity of 86.8%, outperforming most reported noble metal photocatalysts under similar conditions. In addition, DFT calculations demonstrate the reaction mechanism of Cu 2 O@MgO photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 . High selectivity was realized over Cu 2 O@MgO in this work, which provides an innovative way to synthesize the cost-effective photocatalytic materials for CO 2 reduction and utilization.