Cu-modified Nb2O5 photocatalysts for high performance of CO2 reduction

Reasonable design of highly efficient photocatalysts for CO2 conversion is of utmost urgency for the energy crisis. Enhancing the light absorption of photocatalysts and improving the photo-generated electrons and holes (e- -h+) transfer are the most promising strategies for the high-efficiency photocatalytic CO2 reaction. In this work, petalliked Cu-modified Nb2O5 photocatalysts were synthesized successfully through simple solvothermal and reduction treatments. Uniform-dispersed Cu NPs can not only act as electron trappers to enhance e- -h+ separation, but also as high-efficiency co-catalysts to improve the photocatalytic CO2 reduction ability of pristine Nb2O5 materials. Experimental results showed that the optimized Nb2O5-0.5%Cu exhibited high yields for CH4 (14.63 mu mol center dot g- 1 center dot h- 1) and CO (2.84 mu mol center dot g- 1 center dot h- 1) with excellent CH4 selectivity (83.75%) under irradiation. This work provides new insights into the construction of efficient photocatalysts for CO2 reduction in the future.