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

Maroto-Valer, M.Mercedes; Ola, Oluwafunmilola

Abstract

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 photocatalytic CO2 reduction over titanium oxide (TiO2) nanostructured materials, with emphasis on material design and reactor configurations. In this review, we discuss existing and recent TiO2 based supports, encompassing comparative analysis of existing systems, novel designs being employed to improve selectivity and photoconversion rates as well as emerging opportunities for future development, crucial to the field of CO2 photocatalytic reduction. The influence of different operating and morphological variables on the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 photoreduction is reviewed. Finally, perspectives on the progress of TiO2 induced photocatalysis for CO2 photoreduction will be presented.

Citation

Maroto-Valer, M., & Ola, O. (2015). Review of material design and reactor engineering on TiO2 photocatalysis for CO2 reduction. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews, 24, 16-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2015.06.001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 10, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jun 23, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Deposit Date: May 2, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 4, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews
• Print ISSN: 1389-5567
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Pages: 16-42
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2015.06.001
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4373074
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389556715000271
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Review of material design and reactor engineering on TiO2 photocatalysis for CO2 reduction; Journal Title: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2015.06.001; Content Type: article; Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V.