Photochemical synthesis of highly efficient Pt/TiO2 catalyst for thermal CO2 reduction to CO

Supported platinum (Pt) catalysts are crucial for thermal CO₂ reduction, yet traditional preparation methods often yield low catalytic activity. This study addresses this challenge by developing a photochemical deposition method to synthesize highly efficient Pt/TiO₂ catalysts (Pt/TiO₂-L) using only water as the solvent. The Pt/TiO₂-L catalyst exhibited significantly higher CO₂ conversion rates as 65 % at 600 °C and operational stability compared to traditionally prepared catalysts. TEM result revealed uniform dispersion of small Pt nanoparticles (around 1 nm) on the TiO₂ support. XPS analysis showed a higher Pt surface content in Pt/TiO₂-L, resulting in more active sites for CO₂ reduction. In-situ CO-DRIFTS confirmed enhanced CO adsorption on Pt/TiO₂-L due to its higher surface Pt content. This work demonstrates that the photochemical route is an effective and simple method for synthesizing efficient Pt/TiO₂ catalysts for thermal CO₂ reduction, offering promising prospects for industrial application in green chemistry.