Halide perovskite-based heterostructures for photocatalytic CO2 conversion

Abstract

Photocatalytic conversion of solar light into chemical fuels represents an appealing pathway by which a sustainable energy future might be realized. However, great scientific challenges need to be addressed for developing this technology, such as finding a way to acquire highly efficient semiconductor photocatalytic materials. Recently, halide perovskites have emerged as a novel class of semiconductors that display several exceptional advantages, including a large absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, as well as customizable tunability of band gap, composition, structures, and morphologies. The development of photocatalysts solely based on pure halide perovskites encounters significant hurdles due to their intrinsically low stability and activity. A promising strategy to overcome this problem involves the construction of perovskite-based heterostructures. The integration with other components can enhance light absorption capacity, promote the separation of photogenerated carriers, and augment the number of surface reactive sites. In this review, we briefly summarize recent advances in the construction of perovskite-based photocatalytic heterostructures, where the perovskites serve either as the matrix or as a decoration material. Furthermore, the research accomplishments in employing these heterostructures for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction are reviewed. Finally, the major obstacles and the great potential for future design of perovskite-based heterostructures toward the creation of competitive CO₂ conversion photocatalysts are proposed.

Graphical abstract