Carbon-based two-dimensional layered materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to solar fuels

The depletion of fossil fuels and rising atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide lead to an increasing interest in artificial photosynthesis technologies. Among them, photocatalytic CO2 reduction to valuable solar fuels is considered as one of the best strategies for solving both energy and environmental problems simultaneously. In the past decade, it was proved that the photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance can be greatly enhanced by using carbon-based two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, namely graphene and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) due to their excellent electronic and physicochemical properties. In this review, the major advances in the area of carbon-based 2D layered photocatalysts for CO2 reduction are presented. A brief overview on the preparation methods and applications of carbon-based 2D layered photocatalysts is discussed. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for the future research of carbon based 2D layered materials in photocatalytic CO2 reduction are highlighted. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.