ABSTRACT
Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to energy-rich fuels such as methanol or methane is not only lucrative in carbon neutral energy perspective but also carries a lot of significance in mitigating the ever-growing anthropogenic CO2 level in atmosphere. Various approaches and intrigued prospects related to the solar H2 generation have already been detailed in previous chapters. However, hydrogen being the lightest element, transportation and storage of H2, after its generation from solar water splitting, are challenging and require special care and complete overhaul of the existing storage and transportation set-up. On the contrary, energy-rich liquid or gas, such as methanol, ethanol, or methane, obtained from the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 can easily be stored and transported using the existing infrastructure that is already proficient in transportation of natural gas and liquid fuels (Morris et al. 2009). Particularly this makes those CO2 reduction products even more attractive. Also some of the seemingly unimportant products
CONTENTS
7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 141 7.2 Challenges in CO2 Photoreduction: Energetics and Selectivity .......... 142 7.3 Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction .................................................................. 144
7.3.1 Semiconducting Photocatalysts ................................................... 144 7.3.1.1 Creating Surface Defects ................................................145 7.3.1.2 Nanostructuring of Semiconductor Catalysts.............147 7.3.1.3 Surface Modification with Basic Sites ..........................147 7.3.1.4 Formation of Heterostructures ......................................149 7.3.1.5 Z-Scheme for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction ..............149 7.3.1.6 Surface Modification with Cocatalysts ........................152
