Bi2MoO6 Quantum Dots In Situ Grown on Reduced Graphene Oxide Layers: A Novel Electron-Rich Interface for Efficient CO2 Reduction

Weili Dai; Wuwan Xiong; Junjie Yu; Shuqu Zhang; Bing Li; Lixia Yang; Tengyao Wang; Xubiao Luo; Jianping Zou; Shenglian Luo

doi:10.1021/acsami.0c04730

Bi₂MoO₆ Quantum Dots In Situ Grown on Reduced Graphene Oxide Layers: A Novel Electron-Rich Interface for Efficient CO₂ Reduction

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020 Jun 10;12(23):25861-25874. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c04730. Epub 2020 May 26.

Authors

Weili Dai^{1

2}, Wuwan Xiong^{1

2}, Junjie Yu^{1

2}, Shuqu Zhang^{1

2}, Bing Li^{1

2}, Lixia Yang^{1

2}, Tengyao Wang^{1

2}, Xubiao Luo^{1

2}, Jianping Zou^{1

2}, Shenglian Luo^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330063, China.
² National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Heavy Metals Polluants Control and Resource Utilization, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330063, China.

PMID: 32392409
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c04730

Abstract

Bi₂MoO₆ quantum dots (BM QDs, 5 nm in diameter) are evenly in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layers, sensitizing the graphene with high visible light response and activity for efficient solar light-driven CO₂ reduction. Under irradiation, small-sized BM QDs generate active electrons and donate them to the rGO layers. Since the formation of BM QDs and the reduction of GO are undergone simultaneously, a close connection between BM QDs and rGO enables the electron injection from excited Bi₂MoO₆ QDs to graphene scaffolds, and abundant electrons accommodated by the rGO layers offer an electron-rich interface for CO₂ reduction. With the benefit of the improved electron extraction and transport over the BM QDs/rGO interface, 84.8 μmol g^-1 of methanol and 57.5 μmol g^-1 of ethanol are achieved on BM QDs/rGO in 4 h with optimal composition. The total output of alcohols over BM/rGO (142.3 μmol g^-1) is 2.2 and 4.4 times that achieved on unmodified Bi₂MoO₆ QDs (64.0 μmol g^-1) and flower-like Bi₂MoO₆ (32.2 μmol g^-1), respectively.

Keywords: Bi2MoO6 quantum dots; CO2 reduction; electron-rich interface; in situ growth; reduced graphene oxide.