Tailored synthesis of hollow tubular In2O3/In2S3 Z-scheme heterojunctions for highly selective CO production in CO2 hydrogenation

Abstract

Efficient CO₂ hydrogenation to value-added CO under mild conditions is critical for carbon neutrality. Herein, we report a hollow tubular In₂O₃/In₂S₃ Z-scheme heterojunction catalyst, synthesized via sulfidation of a MOF-derived In₂O₃ nanotube precursor. Under atmospheric pressure and low temperature (180 °C), the catalyst achieves highly selective CO production (96.35% selectivity) with a CO production rate of 122.80 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in photothermal catalytic CO₂ reduction-exceeding those of pure In₂O₃ and bulk In₂O₃ by 5.85- and 27.91-fold, respectively. The hollow tubular architecture enhances mass transfer and exposes abundant active sites, while the In₂O₃/In₂S₃ interface enables efficient charge separation via a Z-scheme mechanism. The photothermal synergistic effect further accelerates reaction kinetics and lowers the reaction energy barrier, collectively improving both the yield and selectivity of the products.