Catalytic Function of IrOx in the Two-Step Thermochemical CO2-Splitting Reaction at High Temperatures

Splitting CO2 into CO and O-2 via a two-step thermochemical cycle by utilizing concentrated solar energy is a promising option for CO2 reduction. Herein, to enhance the solar to fuel energy conversion efficiency, IrOx as a catalyst is used to increase the fuel production rate of the LaFeO3-based two-step thermochemical CO2-splitting reaction. Compared with LaFeO3, 0.6 atom % IrOx as a catalyst that loaded on LaFeO3 can almost double the maximal CO release rate and increase the maximal O-2 evolution rate 0.5 times; when a small amount of IrOx (2.5 atom %) is doped into the structure of LaFeO3 through a solution combustion method, the initial CO generation rate can be increased by 5 -fold. This work demonstrates that the catalytic function is still necessary in the two-step thermochemical CO2-splitting reaction even at high temperatures.