Development of cerium-doped porous composite aerogel using cellulose

Schematic diagram of material preparation and CO2 photoconversion As shown in Scheme 1, self-assembled cellulose nanocrystals were formed after the acidolysis of skimmed cotton by sulfuric acid solution, and cerium nitrate and TEOS were allowed to be uniformly attached to the surface of the material by solution doping and sonication. The right frame shows the conversion of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and methane after the material captures carbon dioxide under simulated sunlight illumination. The reaction mechanism is a surface redox reaction in which photogenerated electrons and holes migrate to the catalyst surface to drive different half-reactions: reduction of carbon dioxide to CO, methane, or other hydrocarbons, and oxidation of water to O2. exhibit excellent CO2 adsorption capabilities, which are attributed to their rich and well-organized pore structures along with the synergistic effects of metal oxides. Our tests demonstrated that these materials have a high CO2 adsorption capacity of 3.18 mmol/g and are capable of converting CO2 into carbon monoxide and methane through photocatalytic reactions. This research offers new approaches for developing materials that integrate CO2 capture with conversion processes.