Cu-doped CdZnS nanocrystals: a leap forward in selective photocatalytic CO reduction to methane

• Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) England), 2024-10, Vol.6 (85), p.12393-12396
• Main Authors: Li, Jiwei, Luo, Ze, Zhou, Tianqing, Huang, Haibo, She, Xilin, Tang, Hua
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 1359-7345; 1364-548X
• DOI: 10.1039/d4cc04244a

Our research has demonstrated a significant correlation between the Cu doping concentration in CdZnS and its photocatalytic performance, with CZS-2 exhibiting a 15-fold increase in methane (CH 4 ) production rate compared to pristine CZS, reaching a peak value of 519.2 μL g −1 h −1 . Moreover, CZS-2 demonstrates an unprecedented CH 4 selectivity of 85.3%, surpassing previously reported values for analogous systems. In-depth electrochemical analysis reveals that Cu doping strategically modifies the electronic structure of CZS- x , facilitating efficient charge separation and transfer. This optimization minimizes charge recombination, leading to the selective promotion of CO 2 reduction to CH 4 . This work utilizes Cu-doped CdZnS nanocrystals to efficiently and selectively convert CO 2 to methane.