LSPR-assisted W18O49/ZnO S-scheme heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic CO2 N-formylation of aniline

Designing highly efficient photocatalyst for the valorization of CO 2 is an ideal strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and utilize solar energy. In this study, a S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is fabricated by solvothermal impregnation of ZnO on W 18 O 49 for photocatalytic CO 2 N -formylation of aniline. The localized surface plasmon resonance effect of W 18 O 49 improves the absorption capacity for long-wave light significantly, and the hot electrons generated in W 18 O 49 with a high energy can migrate to the conduction band of ZnO and thus enhance the photocatalytic reduction ability. Meanwhile, the S-scheme heterojunction facilitates the separation of photoinduced charge carriers and preserves the redox ability of W 18 O 49 /ZnO composite photocatalyst. The conversion of aniline reaches 99.1% after 5 h reaction under visible light irradiation at room temperature with an N -formylaniline selectivity of 100%. A possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism is proposed. This study paves a promising way for the design of highly efficient photocatalyst and the sustainable utilization of CO 2 .