Ordered mesoporous photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction

Abstract

Artificial photosynthesis is the process that converts solar energy and CO₂ to valuable chemicals over a photocatalyst through CO₂ photoreduction (CO₂PR). Ordered mesoporous materials (OMMs) highly improve photocatalytic activity and exhibit superior mass transfer, owing to their extensive specific surface area and intense/ordered pore-network. This review provides a comprehensive guide to recent developments and the future prospects of ordered mesoporous (OM) photocatalysts with respect to CO₂PR. The configuration of intrinsic (solely comprising compound semiconductors) and extrinsic (doped with heteroelements) OM-photocatalysts, their decorated counterparts with functional groups and Lewis acids/bases, and their composites with semiconductors, co-catalysts, and metal complexes together with their corresponding advantages for application to CO₂PR are introduced. A rich understanding of these techniques is offered by reviewing the pore structures and reaction mechanisms. This article provides new insights and reflects on the research advances in OM-photocatalysts in CO₂PR over the past two decades.