Sustainable Recovery of CO 2 by Using Visible-Light-Responsive Crystal Cuprous Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide

Shou-Heng Liu, Jun-Sheng Lu and Yi-Chiun Chen
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Shou-Heng Liu: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Jun-Sheng Lu: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Yi-Chiun Chen: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: A simple solution-chemistry method has been investigated to prepare crystal cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) incorporated with reduced graphene oxide (designated as Cu 2 O-rGO- x , where x represents the contents of rGO = 1%, 5% and 10%) in this work. These Cu 2 O-rGO- x composites combine the prospective advantages of rhombic dodecahedra Cu 2 O together with rGO nanosheets which have been studied as visible-light-sensitive catalysts for the photocatalytic production of methanol from CO 2 . Among the Cu 2 O-rGO- x photocatalysts, the methanol yield photocatalyzed by Cu 2 O-rGO-5% can be observed to be 355.26 μmol g −1 cat, which is ca. 36 times higher than that of pristine Cu 2 O nanocrystal in the 20th hour under visible light irradiation. The improved activity may be attributed to the enhanced absorption ability of visible light, the superior separation of electron–hole pairs, well-dispersed Cu 2 O nanocrystals and the increased photostability of Cu 2 O, which are evidenced by employing UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. This work demonstrates an easy and cost-effective route to prepare non-noble photocatalysts for efficient CO 2 recovery in artificial photosynthesis.

Keywords: cuprous oxide; solar energy; graphene; visible-light-driven; CO 2 conversion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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