Bismuth atom tailoring of indium oxide surface frustrated Lewis pairs boosts heterogeneous CO2 photocatalytic hydrogenation

Abstract

Abstract The surface frustrated Lewis pairs (SFLPs) on defect-laden metal oxides provide catalytic sites to activate H 2 and CO 2 molecules and enable efficient gas-phase CO 2 photocatalysis. Lattice engineering of metal oxides provides a useful strategy to tailor the reactivity of SFLPs. Herein, a one-step solvothermal synthesis is developed that enables isomorphic replacement of Lewis acidic site In 3+ ions in In 2 O 3 by single-site Bi 3+ ions, thereby enhancing the propensity to activate CO 2 molecules. The so-formed Bi x In 2-x O 3 materials prove to be three orders of magnitude more photoactive for the reverse water gas shift reaction than In 2 O 3 itself, while also exhibiting notable photoactivity towards methanol production. The increased solar absorption efficiency and efficient charge-separation and transfer of Bi x In 2-x O 3 also contribute to the improved photocatalytic performance. These traits exemplify the opportunities that exist for atom-scale engineering in heterogeneous CO 2 photocatalysis, another step towards the vision of the solar CO 2 refinery.