Visible-light photocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation using surface-alloyed plasmonic AgPt nanoprisms†

Development of suitable catalysts for light-driven CO₂ hydrogenation is an alluring goal in catalysis. In this study, plasmonic Ag nanoprisms were combined with Pt to make surface-alloyed nanoparticles for aqueous-phase CO₂ hydrogenation. The Pt loading favoured the product selectivity towards multi-electron C₁ products and promoted acetic acid production via C–C coupling. Increasing the reaction pressure further improved acetic acid production where the highest yield of 0.491 mmol g_cat⁻¹ was achieved at 20 bar. Within the visible-light region, the in-plane dipole resonance peak of Ag₉₁Pt₉ at 600 nm contributed the highest apparent quantum yield of 26.7%. These investigations demonstrated the significance of designer plasmonic catalysts and highlighted their photocatalytic enhancement towards CO₂ conversion.