Research progress in the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide over nitride catalysts: a review.

Abstract

Photocatalytic CO2 emission reduction uses solar energy to convert the greenhouse gas CO2 into fuel and high-value-added carbon-based chemicals. Nitride materials with tunable electronic structures, rich nitrogen-containing active sites, excellent visible light responsiveness and chemical stability have become a class of promising new photocatalytic systems. In this paper, the research progress of nitride catalysts in the field of photocatalytic CO2 reduction is reviewed, and the basic mechanism and a recommended framework for evaluating photocatalytic CO2 reduction are expounded. The review elucidates the fundamental principles of photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Nitrogen-based catalysts are mainly divided into two categories: non-metallic nitrides, including traditional g-C3N4 and its allotropes poly(triazine imide) (PTI) and poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), BN and other related materials, and metal nitrides, typically characterized by TiN and CoNx. The specific roles of these materials in light harvesting, interfacial charge transfer, CO2 activation, and intermediate stabilization are critically assessed, while current shortcomings and knowledge gaps in the relevant research studies are explicitly identified. Furthermore, the review comprehensively organizes modification and regulation strategies. It also discusses computational chemistry methods, descriptor-based catalyst design, high-throughput screening, and machine learning as complementary tools for constructing robust structure-activity relationships. Finally, a recommended guideline for the comparable reporting of catalytic performance is provided.

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