Eu-Bi12O17Cl2/Bi14W2O27 2D/0D heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO

In order to improve the utilisation of sunlight and expand the photoresponsive range of the photocatalyst, a visible light responsive 2D/0D binary heterojunction: Eu-Bi₁₂O₁₇Cl₂/Bi₁₄W₂O₂₇, was prepared in this paper by a controlled solvent-thermal method. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity originates from the following synergistic effects, including the unique 2D/0D contact interface, the enhancement of the photoresponsive range, and the introduction of the elemental Eu which makes the light-absorbing edge towards the visible light direction. The results of characterisation and photocatalysis experiments show that the 2D/0D catalyst has good spectral absorption range and redox capacity. In the experiments conducted with a xenon lamp as a simulated sunlight, the CO yield reached 44 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. The mechanism of electron transfer was analysed in conjunction with Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, laying the foundation for the subsequent development of photocatalysts in this field.