Influence of the calcination of TiO2-reduced graphite hybrid for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide

Abstract

In this work, a conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into methane, carbon monoxide, as well as hydrogen was investigated. The TiO2/rGO photocatalysts were prepared by two steps: solvothermal method and calcination at 500, 800, and 1000 degrees C in an argon atmosphere. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV-vis/DRS), N2 adsorption-desorption and analysis of carbon content. The activity of photocatalysts was evaluated in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. The TiO2/rGO-10 without calcination showed the highest activity toward CO2 conversion. It was found that all samples after rGO modification exhibited good activity toward H2 generation with high selectivity. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed mainly to the presence of graphene due to its excellent electron transport/collection ability.