UV-laser-induced oxygen vacancy engineering of In(OH)3 for boosted CO2 photoreduction

Abstract

Efficient CO₂ photoreduction demands sufficient active sites and efficient separation of photogenerated charges. This work introduces ultraviolet laser-induced oxygen vacancy engineering to construct abundant oxygen defects in plate-like In(OH)₃, realizing excellent CO₂ photoreduction with a CO yield of 138.47 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and selectivity above 96%. Oxygen vacancies form mid-gap states to strengthen light harvesting, act as electron traps to promote carrier concentration and migration, and boost CO₂ adsorption and activation to facilitate *COOH formation. This strategy enriches active sites, optimizes charge separation, and regulates reaction pathways, and can be applied to large-area samples, showing broad application prospects.