Metal-Free Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CH4 and H2O2 under Non-sacrificial Ambient Conditions

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CH4 requires photosensitizers and sacrificial agents to provide sufficient electrons and protons through metal-based photocatalysts, and the separation of CH4 from by-product O-2 has poor applications. Herein, we successfully synthesize a metal-free photocatalyst of a novel electron-acceptor 4,5,9,10-pyrenetetrone (PT), to our best knowledge, this is the first time that metal-free catalyst achieves non-sacrificial photocatalytic CO2 to CH4 and easily separable H2O2. This photocatalyst offers CH4 product of 10.6 mu mol & sdot; g(-1) & sdot; h(-1) under non-sacrificial ambient conditions (room temperature, and only water), which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the reported metal-free photocatalysts. Comprehensive in situ characterizations and calculations reveal a multi-step reaction mechanism, in which the long-lived oxygen-centered radical in the excited PT provides as a site for CO2 activation, resulting in a stabilized cyclic carbonate intermediate with a lower formation energy. This key intermediate is thermodynamically crucial for the subsequent reduction to CH4 product with the electronic selectivity of up to 90 %. The work provides fresh insights on the economic viability of photocatalytic CO2 reduction to easily separable CH4 in non-sacrificial and metal-free conditions.

Automated summary

This study successfully synthesized a metal-free photocatalyst for non-sacrificial photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CH4 and easily separable H2O2. The obtained CH4 product is two orders of magnitude higher than that of previous metal-free photocatalysts. In situ characterizations and calculations revealed a multi-step reaction mechanism.