Photocatalytic Reduction of CO₂ to CO over Quinacridone/BiVO₄ Nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract Solar energy‐driven photoreduction of CO 2 to energy‐rich chemicals is of significance for sustainable development but challenging. Herein, quinacridone (QA)/ n BiVO 4 ( n =0.2–20, in which n stands for the mass ratio of BiVO 4 to QA) nanocomposites were developed for photoreduction of CO 2 . Characterization of the materials with Fourier‐transform (FT)IR spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) pointed to QA/ n BiVO 4 preparation via hydrogen‐bonding‐directed self‐assembly of QA on BiVO 4 nanosheets. Using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrifice reagent, QA/10BiVO 4 showed the best performance, affording CO with a production rate of 407 μmol g −1 h −1 , 24 times higher than those of pure QA. It was indicated that the Z‐scheme charge‐transfer mechanism of QA/nBiVO 4 could significantly improve the separation and transmission efficiency of photo‐generated electrons and holes. This novel approach provides new insight for fabricating the composite photocatalytic materials of small molecule organic semiconductors and inorganic semiconductors with high efficiency for photocatalytic of reduction CO 2 .