Methodologies for enriched photocatalytic CO2 reduction: an overview

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 3489 - 3526
• Main Authors: Khan, M. D., Fareed, I., ul Hassan Farooq, M., Akram, M., ur Rehman, S., Ali, Z., Tariq, Z., Irshad, M., Li, C., Butt, F. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Review; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Z-scheme heterojunctions; Semiconductor photocatalysis; S-scheme heterojunctions; Type-II heterojunctions; Doping; CO; reduction
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-05330-9

The race for technological advancement and the thirst for development demands a lot from our diminishing conventional energy sources. Fossil fuels are extensively being burnt to satisfy the world’s energy demand. In the last decade, the amount of exhaust gases from burning fossil fuels has skyrocketed, changing the atmosphere. These gases have adversely affected the environment. CO 2 is one of the most abundant anthropogenic gases and a major cause of global warming. CO 2 levels have risen significantly to 420 ppm from 350 ppm in the last 20 years and will continue to rise if action is not taken soon. Environmentalists have raised awareness of this issue around the world, and significant progress has been made in lowering the emission of anthropogenic CO 2 ; nonetheless, environmental restoration still has to be done. Photocatalysis provides a rather unique solution to this severe problem. A photocatalytic CO 2 reduction process mimicking natural photosynthesis is a cost-effective, clean, environmentally friendly and promising strategy for converting CO 2 into fuels such as CH 4 , CH 3 OH and CHOH. This study emphasizes the photocatalysis mechanism, the charge transfer pattern and the CO 2 reduction phenomenon altogether. The different enhancement strategies that have been employed, their CO 2 reduction pathways, mechanisms, merits and limitations have been discussed. This technology is still in its early stages and requires much work to improve, but it will have a great impact in the future. Graphical abstract