Construction of a 0D/2D NixP/LaTiO2N Schottky junction photocatalyst for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Employing photocatalytic technology to transform CO2 into valuable fuels is considered a promising solution for addressing the exacerbated greenhouse effect and energy crisis. The development of photocatalysts featuring superior charge separation efficiency is pivotal for the widespread implementation of photocatalytic CO2 reduction technologies. Herein, zero-dimensional (0D) NixP nanoparticles are anchored onto two-dimensional (2D) LaTiO2N nanosheets by a photo-deposition method, and a NixP/LaTiO2N Schottky junction composite with excellent photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance is constructed. The optimal NixP/LaTiO2N composite achieves CO and CH4 yields of 9.39 and 4.15 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively, with the utilized photoelectron number (UPN) reaching 51.98 μmol g−1, which is approximately 9.7 times higher than that of LaTiO2N alone. The improved photocatalytic performance of the composites can be attributed to the formation of Schottky junctions, which effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated carriers. This study provides a new idea for the development of 0D/2D Schottky junction photocatalysts.