Photoreduction of CO2 into CH4 using Bi2S3-TiO2 double-layered dense films

Nano-sized bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) with the orthorhombic and anatase tetragonal structures, respectively, were synthesized for application as catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4). Four double-layered dense films were fabricated with different coating sequences—TiO2 (bottom layer)/Bi2S3 (top layer), Bi2S3/TiO2, TiO2/Bi2S3: TiO2 (1 : 1) mix, and Bi2S3: TiO2 (1 : 1) mix/Bi2S3: TiO2 (1 : 1) mix—and applied to the photoreduction of CO2 to CH4; the catalytic activity of the fabricated films was compared to that of the pure TiO2/TiO2 and Bi2S3/Bi2S3 doubled-layered films. The TiO2/Bi2S3 double-layered film exhibited superior photocatalytic behavior, and higher CH4 production was obtained with the TiO2/Bi2S3 double-layered film than with the other films. A model of the mechanism underlying the enhanced photoactivity of the TiO2/Bi2S3 double-layered film was proposed, and it was attributed in effective charge separation.