A Specifically Exposed Cobalt Oxide/Carbon Nitride 2D Heterostructure for Carbon Dioxide Photoreduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 provides an opportunity to reach carbon neutrality, by which CO 2 emissions from fuel consumption can be converted back to fuels. The challenge is to explore materials with high charge separation efficiency and effective CO 2 adsorption capacity to boost the photoreduction of CO 2 . Here we report that a 2D heterostructure comprised of Co 3 O 4 /2D g-C 3 N 4 (COCN) can provide enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to CO, yielding a CO production rate of 419 μmol g –1 h –1 with a selectivity of 89.4%, which is 13.5 and 2.6 times higher than that of pure 2D g-C 3 N 4 and Co 3 O 4 . The enhanced photocatalytic performance arises from (i) enhanced light absorption ability and charge separation efficiency originating from the unique 2D heterostructure connected through specifically exposed facet interfaces and (ii) favorable CO 2 adsorption capacity. The study may provide insight for the establishment of a heterostructure-based photocatalytic system toward CO 2 reduction.