Gas-phase CO2 photoreduction via iron/ZSM-5 composites

[Display omitted] •FeOX/ZSM-5 composites for gas-phase CO2 photoreduction.•Well-dispersed particles via a function ion preadsorption method.•Controllable FeII/FeIII ratios for enhanced photoactivities.•Surface Fe oligomers facilitating CC coupling of reaction intermediates. Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into chemicals has been recognized as a promising strategy for combining virtuous carbon cycle and solar energy storage. The realization of this process depends on an efficient catalyst to activate CO2 molecule utilizing solar light. Rational design of hybrid structural photocatalyst comprising multiple components with distinctive functionalities is highly desirable for gas-phase CO2 photocatalytic conversion. Here we report iron oxide species modified zeolite ZSM-5 by function ion preadsorption assistance for the efficient photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO and aldehyde. Derived from the synergistic FeII and FeIII functions on ZSM-5, the FeOX/ZSM-5 composite catalysts furnished favorable band gaps and active sites for CO2 adsorption/activation as well as CC coupling. Significantly, the 3 wt% FeOX/ZSM-5 catalyst exhibits a high CO2 conversion rate of 17.6 μmol gcat−1 h−1, with a high selectivity (43.1 %) for aldehyde generation (7.6 μmol gcat−1 h−1).