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Plasmonic quantum dots modulated nano-mineral toward photothermal reduction of CO2 coupled with biomass conversion

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Abstract

Simultaneous conversion of CO2 and biomass into value-added chemicals through solar-driven catalysis holds tremendous importance for fostering a sustainable circular economy. Herein, plasmonic Bi quantum dots were immobilized on phosphoric acid modified attapulgite (P-ATP) nanorod using an in-situ reduction–deposition method, and were employed for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 coupled with oxidation of biomass-derived benzyl alcohol. Results revealed that Bi atoms successfully integrated into the basal structure of P-ATP, forming chemically coordinated Bi–O–Si bonds that served as efficient transportation channels for electrons. The incorporation of high-density monodispersed Bi quantum dots induced a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, expanding the light absorption range into the near-infrared region. As a consequence, the photo-thermal transformation was significantly accelerated, leading to enhanced reaction kinetics. Notably, 50% Bi/P-ATP nanocomposite exhibited the highest plasmon-mediated photocatalytic CH4 generation (115.7 µmol·g−1·h−1) and CO generation (44.9 µmol·g−1·h−1), along with remarkable benzaldehyde generation rate of 79.5 µmol·g−1·h−1 in the photo-redox coupling system under solar light irradiation. The hydrogen protons released from the oxidation of benzyl alcohol facilitated the incorporation of more hydrogen protons into CO2 to form key CH3O− intermediates. This work demonstrates the synergistic solar-driven valorization of CO2 and biomass using natural mineral based catalyst.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51674043), Jiangsu High Institutions Key Basic Research Projects of Natural Science (No. 21KJA430002), Changzhou International Cooperation Project (No. CZ20230018), and International Joint Laboratory of the Jiangsu Education Department. We thank the Analysis and Testing Center of Changzhou University for the characterization.

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  1. Guangbiao Cao and Haoran Xing contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National-local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomass Refining and High-quality Utilization, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China

    Guangbiao Cao, Haoran Xing, Haoguan Gui, Chao Yao, Yinjuan Chen & Xiazhang Li

  2. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0373, USA

    Yongsheng Chen

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  1. Guangbiao Cao
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Correspondence to Yinjuan Chen, Yongsheng Chen or Xiazhang Li.

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Cao, G., Xing, H., Gui, H. et al. Plasmonic quantum dots modulated nano-mineral toward photothermal reduction of CO2 coupled with biomass conversion. Nano Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6521-9

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