BiOBr Nanosheet-Decorated SiC Nanowires for Cooperative Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CO

Heterojunction construction offers an effective means to modulate band structures and enhance charge separation in photocatalysis. The aim of this work is to develop a high-performance photocatalyst for CO2 reduction by combining the advantages of 1D and 2D materials. To achieve this, a hierarchical S-scheme heterojunction comprising 1D SiC nanowires and 2D BiOBr nanosheets is designed and fabricated via a facile hydrothermal route as the key method. The formation of the S-scheme heterojunction facilitates efficient spatial charge separation while preserving the strong reduction and oxidation potentials of the respective components. As a result, the SiC/BiOBr composite exhibits significantly enhanced visible-light absorption and markedly suppressed photogenerated carrier recombination compared to pristine BiOBr. Under simulated solar irradiation, the optimal catalyst achieves a CO evolution rate of 715.98 μL·g–1·h–1, approximately six times and five times higher than those of pure SiC and BiOBr, respectively. Furthermore, the heterojunction demonstrates excellent stability over extended photocatalytic CO2 reduction cycles. In conclusion, this work provides a promising strategy for constructing S-scheme binary heterostructures toward cooperative applications in environmental remediation and solar fuel conversion.