Lead-Free Cs2TeX6 (X = Cl, Br, and I) Perovskite Microcrystals with High Stability for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Inorg Chem. 2022 Sep 12;61(36):14447-14454. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02417. Epub 2022 Aug 31.

Abstract

In response to calling for a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy, the conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals using the solar energy is a potential tactic to relieve the global energy dilemma and environmental issues, which has been a hot topic so far. Recently, the lead halide perovskites as novel photocatalysts have attracted researchers' interests. However, they generally encounter poor stability and lead toxicity, restricting their large-scale practical applications. Here, the lead-free Cs2TeX6 (X = Cl, Cl0.5Br0.5, Br, Br0.5I0.5, and I) perovskite microcrystals with strong stability were prepared and used to realize the CO2 photocatalytic reduction efficiently. The prepared Cs2TeBr6 microcrystals delivered stronger photocatalytic ability than many previously reported photocatalysts, with the CO and CH4 yields of 308.63 and 60.42 μmolg-1, respectively, under 3 h of illumination. The presented strategy in our work provides new ideas of designing and preparing efficient and practical CO2 reduction photocatalysts based on nonleaded and high-stability halide perovskites.