Three-dimensional palm frondlike Co3O4@NiO/graphitic carbon composite for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Three-dimensional (3D) palm frondlike S-scheme heterojunction based the Co3O4@NiO/graphitic carbon ([email protected]/GC) composites were fabricated via a simple polymer heat treatment method as photocatalysts for CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR). The optimal [email protected]/GC-700 catalyst exhibits excellent performance and stability for photocatalytic CO2RR. Under visible light irradiation, the maximum yields for CH4 and CO are 9.79 μmol g−1h-1 and 4.89 μmol g−1h-1, respectively. The photocatalytic CO2RR activity of the [email protected]/GC catalysts is superior to Co3O4 or NiO, which could be attributed to the direct S-scheme heterojunction induced by the interfacial electric field (EF) and the improved CO2 adsorption capacity in [email protected]/GC. DFT calculations revealed that an interfacial EF is formed due to the electron transfer from NiO to Co3O4 in the [email protected]/GC catalysts. This work provides new insights for designing advanced S-scheme heterojunction photocatalytic CO2RR catalysts with ideal performance.