Photocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide by Water: A Step towards Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals

Abstract

Photo catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide or artificial photo synthesis to yield hydrogen and hydrocarbons like methane, methanol etc., has emerged as a subject/process of intensive study due to its potential applications towards abatement of atmospheric CO2 levels and conversion to fuels and chemicals. This Chapter provides a comprehensive picture of the process that has posed several scientific and technological challenges, like activation of most stable molecules-CO2 and water, extremely low conversion rates, complex reaction pathways involving multi electron transfer steps and short catalyst life. All the major aspects/developments on this process like, the salient features and technological aspects, thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics, various types of photo-active catalysts-, like, titania based catalysts and titania with various dopants and modifiers, various metal oxides/sulfides/nitrides/ layered titanates, binary and ternary oxides of Nb, Ta, Ga & In mixed oxide catalysts, metal complexes, and supra molecular catalysts-, sensitization by macro cylic ligands, influence of process parameters, catalyst structure-property-activity correlations, aspects of deactivation of catalysts, reaction mechanistic aspects and sequential surface reaction pathways, recent trends and future directions have been covered. Design and development of efficient catalyst systems and achieving higher yield of desired products (higher selectivity) and extending the catalyst life are the key issues being pursued by the researchers. The process is in nascent stage and further improvements are needed as CO2 conversion rates are extremely small, with products formed in terms of 1-10 micro moles/hr. One of the means of improving the process efficiency is to carry out electrochemical reduction of CO2 using solar electric power, with an integrated Photo electrochemical cell (PEC). Yet another option is to reduce CO2 to methanol with hydrogen produced using solar powered PEC.