Visible-light assisted production of hydrocarbon fuels from carbon dioxide using Cu2O@MnCo2O4 heterojunction

The recent observation of global warming is a crucial concern due to the excessive emission of CO2 from the excessive fossil fuels burning. To maintain the environment sustainably and green, it needs to reduce CO2 emission or utilize CO2 emitted into C1 hydrocarbons, which can be used as fuels in many applications. Here, we have developed Cu2O doped MnCo2O4 heterojunction, a photocatalytic material for reducing CO2 into CO and CH4. In the heterojunction, Cu2O nanoparticles were successfully deposited onto MnCo2O4 semiconducting surface by sol-gel hydrothermal method. Cu2O@MnCo2O4 heterojunction and the individual semiconductors, Cu2O and MnCo2O4, have been characterized in detail using various analytical techniques. Also, the products of CO2 photoreduction were confirmed by the GC-MS. The heterojunction's improved photocatalytic activity was overcome by the effective charge separation between the Cu2O and MnCo2O4 interface investigated by the photoluminescence spectroscopy, which facilitated the efficient CO2 reduction in visible-light irradiation. The heterojunction's excellent photocatalytic activity was retained after several runs under the experimental condition, which proved that the present heterojunction is a superb candidate for producing hydrocarbon fuels from CO2.

Automated summary

The development of Cu2O-doped MnCo2O4 heterojunction as a photocatalytic material for reducing CO2 into CO and CH4 shows promising results for efficient CO2 reduction. By optimizing photocatalytic activity and charge separation, the heterojunction exhibits excellent performance in converting CO2 into hydrocarbon fuels, making it an ideal candidate for sustainable energy production.