Layered Co–O Cluster Applied to Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

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In the field of recycling CO 2, the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) is a typical example, and researchers have designed a variety of photocatalysts to improve the conversion rate of CO 2 over the years. In this paper, two metal–oxygen clusters are designed and formulated as [Co 3 Zn(OH) 6 (SO 4 )]·4H 2 O ( 1 ) and [Ni 3 Zn(OH) 6 (SO 4 )]·4H 2 O ( 2 ). As for compound 1, the main structure is composed of {CoO 6 } octahedra connected by edge-sharing to form a two-dimensional layer, on which {ZnO 4 } and {SO 4 } tetrahedra are supported. More interestingly, compound 1 has outstanding photocatalytic activity, which is mainly attributed to the open-framework structure and the cobalt ions as active sites. Upon catalysis for eight hours, its maximum CO generation rate is 9982.13 μmol g –1 h –1, with a selectivity of 81.8%. Additionally, compound 1 takes on weak antiferromagnetic coupling due to Co(II) ions.