Photoreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid in Aqueous Suspension: A Comparison between Phthalocyanine/TiO2 and Porphyrin/TiO2 Catalysed Processes

Composite materials prepared by loading polycrystalline TiO2 powders with lipophilic highly branched Cu(II)- and metal-free phthalocyanines or porphyrins, which have been used in the past as photocatalysts for photodegradative processes, have been successfully tested for the efficient photoreduction of carbon dioxide in aqueous suspension affording significant amounts of formic acid. The results indicated that the presence of the sensitizers is beneficial for the photoactivity, confirming the important role of Cu(II) co-ordinated in the middle of the macrocycles. A comparison between Cu(II) phthalocyanines and Cu(II) porphyrins indicated that the Cu(II)-phthalocyanine sensitizer was more efficient in the photoreduction of CO2 to formic acid, probably due to its favorable reduction potential.