A review on TiO2−x-based materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction technology has a broad potential for dealing with the issues of energy shortage and global warming. As a widely studied material used in the photocatalytic process, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been continuously modified and tailored for more desirable application. Recently, the defective/reduced titanium dioxide (TiO_2−x) catalyst has attracted broad attention due to its excellent photocatalytic performance for CO₂ reduction. In this perspective review, we comprehensively present the recent progress in TiO_2−x-based materials for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. In detail, the review starts with the fundamentals of CO₂ photocatalytic reduction. Then, the synthesis of a defective TiO₂ structure is introduced for the regulation of its photocatalytic performance, especially its optical properties and dissociative adsorption properties. In addition, the current application of TiO_2−x-based photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction is also highlighted, such as metal–TiO_2−x, oxide–TiO_2−x and TiO_2−x–carbon-based photocatalysts. Finally, the existing challenges and possible scope of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction over TiO_2−x-based materials are discussed. We hope that this review can provide an effective reference for the development of more efficient and reasonable photocatalysts based on TiO_2−x.