Boosting charge transfer of NiAl-LDH by silicate nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets are ideal for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. How to suppress the spontaneous agglomeration of LDH remains a challenge. Herein, this work reports that the insulated calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) nanosheets effectively suppress the agglomeration of NiAl-LDH nanosheets by an electrostatic self-assembly. The charge transfer of NiAl-LDH/CSH is effectively promoted, as verified by photoelectrochemical characterizations. As a result, the CO and H2 generation rates from photocatalytic CO2 reduction are as high as 3432 and 1411 μmol g−1h−1, which are ∼2.4 times higher than that of the pure NiAl-LDH.