Solar light promoted CO2 hydrogenation to CH4 over photo-thermal responsive dispersed Co on defective CeO2 composite derived from MOFs

The conversion of the greenhouse gas CO 2 represents a pragmatic and environmentally friendly approach. However, the substantial energy demands of the reaction hamper its widespread application. Here, we designed an efficient catalyst prepared by Ce-MOF and ZIF-67 precursor, namely Co/CeO 2 , for photothermal CO 2 methanation under light and auxiliary heating. CeO 2 synthesized by Ce-MOF has a good structure and abundant oxygen vacancies, meanwhile, Co has abundant active sites and strong adsorption capacity and is well-dispersed on CeO 2 . As a result, the catalyst exhibits high CH 4 yield of 885.27 mmol⋅g −1 ⋅h −1 and CO yield of 24.5 mmol⋅g −1 ⋅h −1 . Moreover, it has good selectivity and catalytic durability. Through the analysis of the reaction pathway under the conditions of photothermal catalysis, the hydrogenation reaction of formate can efficiently generate CH 4 and H 2 O due to the promotion of hot carriers. This work demonstrated the advantages of photothermal co-catalysis and provides a potential strategy for efficient CO 2 reduction.