A dual optimization approach for photoreduction of CO2 to alcohol in g-C3N4/BaTiO3 system: Heterojunction construction and ferroelectric polarization

The improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes is an effective way to improve photocatalytic performance. Herein, the high efficiency sheet/fiber g-C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 photocatalysts with built-in electric field are successfully synthesized by electrospinning and simple calcination method. Compared with pure g-C 3 N 4 and BaTiO 3 , g-C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 heterojunction possesses higher photogenerated electron-hole pairs separation efficiency and larger specific surface area, thus improving the photocatalytic activity of g-C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 catalysts. Besides, the ferroelectric polarization produced by external electric field significantly promotes the CO 2 reduction performance of CNBT20 [the component with mass fractions BT / (CN/BT) = 20 %], whose reduction rates of CH 3 OH and CH 3 CH 2 OH are 1.44 and 1.50 times that of unpolarized CNBT20, accompanied with remarkable cyclic stability. The coupling effect of heterojunction and ferroelectric polarization improves the separation efficiency of photoexcited carriers in g-C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 significantly, hence providing broad prospects for the combination of traditional semiconductors and ferroelectric materials to improve photocatalytic performance.