Recent progress in visible light photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide

Conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals is an attractive technique for CO2 capture and sequestration. However, it requires a high energy input to break the strong C=O bond of CO2 molecules. Solar energy is a sustainable and green energy without environmental detriment. The utilization of solar energy especially visible light energy (which takes a large portion of solar energy) provides a promising approach to solve the energy issue for CO2 conversion. This review provides a panorama of the latest progress in visible-light photocatalytic CO2 conversion, including (1) photocatalytic CO2 reduction with water, (2) photocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation, and (3) photocatalytic reforming of CO2 and CH4. The catalysts are assessed with emphasis on advanced strategies and superb materials. The current issues associated with visible-light photocatalytic conversion of CO2 are discussed and suggestions for future developments are provided as an outlook.