Ag Nanoparticles-Modified FeVO4 Composite for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Photoreduction of CO₂ and H₂O into fuels and value-added chemicals is an effective solution to address global energy issues. However, developing photocatalysts with high activity and selectivity remains a major challenge. Herein, we report Ag nanoparticles (NPs) loaded FeVO₄ (FVO) composite photocatalyst for highly efficient and selective photoreduction of CO₂ to CO. Under a 300 W Xe lamp irradiation, the optimal Ag₁-FVO catalyst exhibits a CO yield of 255.4 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and a CO selectivity of 99.7 %, which are dramatically higher than those of pure FVO alone. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance could be attributed to Ag NPs on the surface of FVO, which improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and promote the adsorption/activation of CO₂ molecules. This study suggests that modification of semiconductor photocatalysts with Ag NPs is an effective method for enhancing the CO₂ photoreduction activity.