Three-dimensional porous N-doped graphitic carbon framework with embedded CoO for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

A facile polymer thermal treatment method has been employed to fabricate 3D porous N-doped graphitic carbon frameworks with embedded CoO (CoO@N-GCs), which are employed as catalysts for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. The experimental results demonstrate that the CoO@N-GC-500 catalyst exhibits excellent photo-catalytic performance and stability for the photoreduction of CO2 in water. Under visible light irradiation, the maximum yields for CH4 and CO are 10.03 mu mol/(h.g) and CO is 5.16 mu mol/(h.g), respectively. The high photocatalytic performance of CoO@N-GC-500 is attributed to the efficient separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, large specific surface area, and strong visible light absorption capacity. This work paves a new way for the practical application of the CoO catalysts in artificial photosynthesis.

Automated summary

The CoO@N-GC-500 catalyst, prepared by a facile polymer thermal treatment method, exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance for the reduction of CO2 in water, with high yields of CH4 and CO under visible light irradiation. This is attributed to efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, large specific surface area, and strong visible light absorption capacity, paving the way for practical applications of CoO catalysts in artificial photosynthesis.