Recent advances in zinc chalcogenide-based nanocatalysts for photocatalytic reduction of CO2

Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals based on semiconductor catalysts is considered a promising approach to simultaneously address the energy and environmental crises. Here, recent progress on zinc chalcogenide-based nanocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction is highlighted, including ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, and related composite catalysts. The fundamentals of zinc chalcogenides and basic principle of photocatalytic CO2 reduction are first discussed briefly. The major focus of this review is on various approaches that are used to improve the photocatalytic performance, such as microstructure modulation (tuning the particle size and morphology, defect engineering, and crystal facet engineering), surface functionalization, formation of ternary zinc chalcogenides, heterojunction construction, and hybridization with molecular catalysts. Finally, the challenges and perspectives are also presented. We envision that this review can help in rational design of zinc chalcogenide-based nanocatalysts with high activity and selectivity for CO2 photoreduction.