Photocatalysis for Hydrogen Production and CO₂ Reduction: The Case of Copper‐Catalysts

Abstract

Problems derived from climate change dictate the reestablishment of our prospective in energy production. In this direction, converting solar energy through photocatalysis into suitable fuels such as hydrogen and carbon‐based fuels by water splitting and CO2 reduction, respectively, has been established as a promising approach. Currently, the main concern in this field is the development of cost‐effective and efficient photocatalysts. Among the different systems studied, Cu‐based photocatalysts are considered attractive candidates for both applications due to their relative low‐cost, the natural abundance of the constituents and their promising reactivity. In this review, the current progress in the field of Cu‐based photoactive materials for both H2 production and CO2 reduction will be discussed. Finally, an outlook on the challenges and future research directions is given.

Recent Advances in Niobium-Based Materials for Photocatalytic Solar Fuel Production

“…As a consequence, more than 33,000 million tons of carbon dioxide was emitted, which represents an annual increasing of 2.0%, the fastest growth for seven years [1]. This scenario can trigger serious problems for the current and next generations such as the insufficiency of fossil fuel resources, air pollution, and also climate changes as a result of the greenhouse effect [2].…”

Near UV‐Irradiation of CuOx‐Impregnated TiO2 Providing Active Species for H2 Production Through Methanol Photoreforming

“…[3] Indeed, photocatalysts with appropriate band-gap and adequate stability for either organic photo-reforming or water-splitting under visible light irradiation with suitable energy efficiencies are still unavailable, and their development is considered a significant challenge in photocatalysis research. [4,5] Even though titanium dioxide in P25 form (80 : 20 w/w anatase:rutile) is considered one of the most promising commercial material for photocatalytic processes, it shows significant limitations, such as fast electron/hole recombination and absorption/activity restricted to the UV region due to its wide bandgap. [6,7] Among the various methods employed for improving TiO 2 properties, doping with noble metals (Au, Pt, Pd) acting as co-catalysts has proven to be effective to enhance the photo-efficiency of titanium dioxide.…”

Amine Functionalized Metal–Organic Framework Coordinated with Transition Metal Ions: d–d Transition Enhanced Optical Absorption and Role of Transition Metal Sites on Solar Light Driven H2 Production

“…Similarly, Cu 2+ ions coordination shows a broad absorption peak at 814 nm that is due to the surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) effect . Besides, the formation of CuO x species in Cu‐MOF might also enhance the optical response . Thus, coordination of M 2+ ions extends the light absorption of MOFs and facilitates a wide solar light absorption, thereby improves the solar light driven H 2 production capability.…”