Synergistic Trimetallic Nanocomposites as Visible-NIR-Sunlight-Driven Photocatalysts for Efficient Artificial Photosynthesis

Dinesh Kumar; Richa Jaswal; Chan Hee Park; Cheol Sang Kim

doi:10.1021/acsami.3c06730

Synergistic Trimetallic Nanocomposites as Visible-NIR-Sunlight-Driven Photocatalysts for Efficient Artificial Photosynthesis

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023 Sep 13;15(36):42490-42500. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c06730. Epub 2023 Aug 29.

Authors

Dinesh Kumar^{1

2

3

4}, Richa Jaswal^{1

3

4}, Chan Hee Park^{1

2

3}, Cheol Sang Kim^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Mechanical Design Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, South Korea.
² Regional Leading Research Center for Nanocarbon-based Energy Materials and Application Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, South Korea.
³ Department of Bionanotechnology and Bioconvergence Engineering, Graduate School, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Bionanosystem Engineering, Graduate School, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, South Korea.

PMID: 37644704
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06730

Abstract

Here, we report monodispersed tricomponent MnNSs-SnO₂@Pt and MnNFs-SnO₂@Pt nanocomposites prepared by simultaneous SnO₂ and Pt nanodot coating on Mn nanospheres (MnNSs) and Mn nanoflowers (MnNFs) for highly efficient CO₂ photoreduction in visible-NIR-sunlight irradiation. MnNFs-SnO₂@Pt showed higher efficiency with a quantum yield of 3.21% and a chemical yield of 5.45% for CO₂ conversion under visible light irradiation for HCOOH formation with 94% selectivity. Similarly, MnNFs-SnO₂@Pt displayed significant photocatalytic efficiency in NIR and sunlight irradiation for HCOOH yield. MnNFs-SnO₂@Pt nanocomposites also showed robust morphology and sustained structural stability with shelf-life for at least 1 year and were utilized for at least 10 reaction cycles without losing significant photocatalytic efficiency. The high surface area (94.98 m²/g), efficient electron-hole separation, and Pt-nanodot support in MnNFs--SnO₂@Pt contributed to a higher photocatalytic efficacy toward CO₂ reduction.

Keywords: MnO2 nanohybrids; Sn−Pt nano-boosting; artificial photosynthesis; charge separation; synergistic effect.