Review of material design and reactor engineering on TiO2 photocatalysis for CO2 reduction

Publication date: Available online 23 June 2015 Source:Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews Author(s): Oluwafunmilola Ola , M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer The continuous combustion of non-renewable fossil fuels and depletion of existing resources is intensifying the research and development of alternative future energy options that can directly abate and process ever-increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Since CO2 is a thermodynamically stable compound, its reduction must not consume additional energy or increase net CO2 emissions. Renewable sources like solar energy provide readily available and continuous light supply required for driving this conversion process. Therefore, the use of solar energy to drive CO2 photocatalytic reactions simultaneously addresses the aforementioned challenges, while producing sustainable fuels or chemicals suitable for use in existing energy infrastructure. Recent progress in this area has focused on the development and testing of promising TiO2 based photocatalysts in different reactor configurations due to their unique physicochemical properties for CO2 photoreduction. TiO2 nanostructured materials with different morphological and textural properties modified by using organic and inorganic compounds as photosensitizers (dye sensitization), coupling semiconductors of different energy levels or doping with metals or non-metals have been tested. This review presents contemporary views on state of the art in p...
Source: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research