2D/2D GO-Modified g-C3N4 Nanocomposite for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CH4 Under Visible Light

Polymeric graphitic phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts offer significant potential for CO2 photoreduction into solar fuels despite their efficiency restricted due to poor light response and recombination of photo-generated charges. This study focused on the modification of g-C3N4 by single-layered graphene oxide (GO) for enhancing photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity to form CH4. Well-designed 2D/2D GO-g-C3N4 was fabricated using facile thermal strategy. The hybrid photocatalyst exhibited improved CO2 photoreduction performance to produce CH4. The maximum CH4 yield of 25.61 µmol g-1 was achieved after 4 h of visible light illumination which represents about 25% enhancement compared to pristine g-C3N4. The incorporation of GO co-catalyst not only facilitates charge transfer but also offers an ample number of catalytic sites for CO2 adsorption. This work showcased the fabrication of g-C3N4-based binary photocatalyst with high CO2 photoreduction efficiency by coupling with metal-free co-catalyst.