Flower-like Bi₂WO₆ Composite g-C₃N₄ loaded with copper atoms for efficient photoreduction of carbon dioxide

Abstract In this work, we constructed a bismuth tungstate composite supported with copper atoms in a carbon nitride heterojunction structure, which can effectively enhance the light-driven reduction efficiency of the catalyst through facilitating the mobility and separation of charges. The experimental results of photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide show that the CO yield of the modified catalyst is 3.15 times higher than that of the pre-modified catalyst, and the selectivity is also increased from 39.2% to 65.6%. The results of physicochemical property analysis showed that the flower-like bismuth tungstate with regular crystal structure greatly improved the surface area per unit mass of the photocatalyst, which could provide a large number of active sites for the reaction, and the loaded copper atoms with the Z-scheme heterojunction structure could assist in transferring the photogenerated carriers, thus reducing the carrier complexation rate. The modification measure of combining a heterojunction and an atom catalyst can be an effective means to develop reliable and efficient photocatalysts.