Enhanced formic acid production for CO2 photocatalytic reduction over Pd/H-TiO2 catalyst

The photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into formic acid is a feasible approach to alleviate the effects of global climate change and achieve chemical energy storage. It is important to design highly active photocatalysts to improve the selectivity and yield of formic acid. In this study, TiO 2 -based catalysts were prepared and loaded with Pd nanoparticles via an impregnation process. The Pd/H-TiO 2 catalyst demonstrated superior CO 2 reduction activity and a high formic acid production rate of 14.14 mmol cat ·g −1 ·h −1 . The excellent catalytic performance observed in the presence of a Pd/H-TiO 2 catalyst is ascribed to the synergy between O v and Pd. The presence of O v led to increase in CO 2 adsorption while Pd loading enhanced the photogenerated electron-hole pair separation. Electron transfer from H-TiO 2 to Pd also contributed to CO 2 activation.