Boosting Interfacial Electron Transfer and CO2 Enrichment on ZIF-8/ZnTe for Selective Photoelectrochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO

Artificial photosynthesis is an effective way of converting CO2 into fuel and high value-added chemicals. However, the sluggish interfacial electron transfer and adsorption of CO2 at the catalyst surface strongly hamper the activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction. Here, we report a photocathode attaching zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) onto a ZnTe surface to mimic an aquatic leaf featuring stoma and chlorophyll for efficient photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 into CO. ZIF-8 possessing high CO2 adsorption capacity and diffusivity has been selected to enrich CO2 into nanocages and provide a large number of catalytic active sites. ZnTe with high light-absorption capacity serves as a light-absorbing layer. CO2 molecules are collected in large nanocages of ZIF-8 and delivered to the ZnTe surface. As evidenced by scanning electrochemical microscopy, the interface can effectively boost interfacial electron transfer kinetics. The ZIF-8/ZnTe photocathode with unsaturated Zn–Nx sites exhibits a high Faradaic efficiency for CO production of 92.9% and a large photocurrent of 6.67 mA·cm–2 at −2.48 V (vs Fc/Fc+) in a nonaqueous electrolyte at AM 1.5G solar irradiation (100 mW·cm–2).