Construction of a direct Z-scheme InVO4/La2Ti2O7 Photocatalyst toward Efficient and Selective CO2 Reduction to CO

Using solar-powered photocatalytic technology to convert CO2 to high value-added chemical products is a hopeful strategy to solve the energy and environmental problems of modern society. Herein, a direct Z-scheme InVO4/La2Ti2O7 photocatalyst is successfully synthesized, achieving efficient and selective CO2 reduction to CO with nearly 100% CO selectivity, and the CO yield is 4.2 and 3.3 times that of individual La2Ti2O7 and InVO4, respectively. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance is owing to the formation of Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism, fostering the spatial separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. This work provides new perspectives for the rational design of La2Ti2O7-based photocatalytic materials toward efficient and selective CO2 reduction to CO. •A direct Z-scheme InVO4/La2Ti2O7 photocatalyst is synthesized.•InVO4/La2Ti2O7 composite can effectively convert CO2 with H2O into CO and O2.•InVO4/La2Ti2O7 composites achieve nearly 100% CO selectivity.•The modification of InVO4 on La2Ti2O7 improve the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers.