B–O Bonds in Ultrathin Boron Nitride Nanosheets to Promote Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Conversion

Limited by the chemical inertness of CO2 and the high dissociation energy of the C═O bond, photocatalytic CO2 conversion is highly challenging. Herein, we prepare ultrathin oxygen-modified h-BN (O/BN) nanosheets containing B-O bonds. On the O/BN surface, CO2 can be chemically captured and is bonded with the B-O bond, leading to the formation of an O-B-O bond. This new chemical bond acting as an electron-delivery channel strengthens the interaction between CO2 and the surface. Thus, the reactants can continuously obtain electrons from the surface through this channel. Therefore, the majority of gaseous CO2 directly converts into carbon active species that are detected by in situ DRIFTS over O/BN. Moreover, the activated energies of CO2 conversion are significantly reduced with the introduction of the B-O bond evidenced by DFT calculations. As a result, O/BN nanosheets present an enhanced photocatalytic CO2 conversion performance with the H2 and CO generation rates of 3.3 and 12.5 μmol g-1 h-1, respectively. This work could help in realizing the effects of nonmetal chemical bonds in the CO2 photoreduction reaction for designing efficient photocatalysts.