Convincing Synthesis of Atomically Thin, Single-Crystalline InVO4 Sheets toward Promoting Highly Selective and Efficient Solar Conversion of CO2 into CO

Qiutong Han; Xiaowan Bai; Zaiqin Man; Huichao He; Liang Li; Jianqiang Hu; Ahmed Alsaedi; Tasawar Hayat; Zhentao Yu; Weihua Zhang; Jinlan Wang; Yong Zhou; Zhigang Zou

doi:10.1021/jacs.8b13673

Convincing Synthesis of Atomically Thin, Single-Crystalline InVO₄ Sheets toward Promoting Highly Selective and Efficient Solar Conversion of CO₂ into CO

J Am Chem Soc. 2019 Mar 13;141(10):4209-4213. doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b13673. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Authors

Qiutong Han¹, Xiaowan Bai², Zaiqin Man³, Huichao He⁴, Liang Li¹, Jianqiang Hu¹, Ahmed Alsaedi⁵, Tasawar Hayat^{5

6}, Zhentao Yu^{3

7}, Weihua Zhang³, Jinlan Wang², Yong Zhou^{1

7}, Zhigang Zou^{1

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics (MOE), Institute of Acoustics, School of Physics, Eco-materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC) , National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China.
² School of Physics , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , China.
³ College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nano Technology, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology , Mianyang 621010 , China.
⁵ Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah 21589 , Saudi Aribia.
⁶ Department of Mathematics , Quaid-I-Azam University , Islamabad 45320 , Pakistan.
⁷ Sunlite Ltc., Kunshan Innovation Institute of Nanjing University , Jiangsu 215347 , China.

PMID: 30794398
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b13673

Abstract

Atomically thin, single-crystalline InVO₄ sheets with the uniform thickness of ∼1.5 nm were convincingly synthesized, which was identified with strong, low-angle X-ray diffraction peaks. The InVO₄ atomic layer corresponding to 3 unit cells along [110] orientation exhibits highly selective and efficient photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into CO in the presence of water vapor. Surface potential change measurement and liquid photoluminescence decay spectra confirm that the atomically ultrathin structure can shorten the transfer distance of charge carriers from the interior onto the surface and decrease the recombination in body. It thus allows more electrons to survive and accumulate on the surface, which is beneficial for activation and reduction of CO₂. In addition, exclusively exposed {110} facet of the InVO₄ atomic layer was found to bind the generating CO weakly, facilitating quick desorption from the catalyst surface to form free CO molecules, which provides an ideal platform to catalytically selective CO product.