CO2 photoconversion into hydrocarbon solar fuels by engineered semiconductors is considered as a feasible plan to address global energy requirements in times of global warming. In this regard, three-dimensional yolk@shell hydrogenated TiO2/Co–Al layered double hydroxide (3D Y@S TiO2–x /LDH) architecture was successfully assembled by sequential solvothermal, hydrogen treatment, and hydrothermal preparation steps. This architecture revealed a high efficiency for the photoreduction of CO2 to solar fuels, without a noble metal cocatalyst. The time-dependent experiment indicated that the production of CH3OH was almost selective until 2 h (up to 251 μmol/gcat. h), whereas CH4 was produced gradually by increasing the time of reaction to 12 h (up to 63 μmol/gcat. h). This significant efficiency can be ascribed to the engineering of 3D Y@S TiO2–x /LDH architecture with considerable CO2 sorption ability in mesoporous yolk@shell structure and LDH interlayer spaces. Also, oxygen vacancies in TiO2–x could provide excess sites for sorption, activation, and conversion of CO2. Furthermore, the generated Ti3+ ions in the Y@S TiO2 structure as well as connecting of structure with LDH plates can facilitate the charge separation and decrease the band gap of nanoarchitecture to the visible region.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract