Conversion of CO2-to-ethanol on a microfluidic photoreactor using dumbbell-shaped copper-doped bismuth vanadate catalyst

• Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction was successfully carried out in a planar microfluidic system. • Doping of bismuth vanadate with copper resulted in enhanced reduction of CO 2 to reduced products. • The microfluidic design of the channel results in improved contact between photocatalyst and CO 2 molecules. • The photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 in the microfluidic system using copper doped BiVO 4 , resulted in generation of 4 ppm ethanol in the system. Mitigating CO 2 emissions is a critical global objective. This study investigates the enhanced reduction of CO 2 to ethanol using copper-doped bismuth vanadate (CuBVO) as a photocatalyst within a microfluidic system. Doping bismuth vanadate with 0.5 % and 1 % copper, resulted in significant improvements in photocatalytic efficiency, especially with 1 % copper doping. The reaction is driven under visible light-emitting diode using a microfluidic platform, where the thin film of CuBVO facilitates the CO 2 reduction process. Gas chromatographic analysis confirms the generation of ethanol as a product. The results highlight the potential of microfluidic systems combined with perovskite-based photocatalysts for effective CO 2 reduction.