Immobilizing CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals on nanoporous carbon powder for visible-light-driven CO2 photoreduction

Abstract

Perovskite CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as promising candidates for the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂. However, the CO₂ conversion efficiency of pristine CsPbBr₃ is still unsatisfactory, mainly due to severe radiative recombination, poor stability and low CO₂ capturing ability. Coincidentally, nanoporous carbon powder (NCP) has received tremendous attention for environmental remediation and renewable energy production. Herein, by immobilizing CsPbBr₃ NCs into the pores of NCP, a CsPbBr₃/NCP hybrid has been successfully constructed for the first time, which combined the advantages of CsPbBr₃ NCs and NCP. In comparison with pristine CsPbBr₃, the resultant hybrid photocatalyst exhibited much superior photocatalytic performance in CO₂ reduction, which could be attributed to the enhanced electron extraction and transfer between CsPbBr₃ NCs and NCP, higher CO₂ capturing ability and more active sites for CO₂ activation. Furthermore, the nanohybrid displayed remarkable reusability in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. This study is anticipated to provide a new pathway for the design and fabrication of high-performance photocatalysts based on perovskites for solar-energy-conversion applications.