Isolated Cobalt Centers on W18O49 Nanowires Perform as a Reaction Switch for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c08409
• Publication Date: 2021-01-29T01:10:29Z
• Authors: Huabin Zhang; Yan Wang; Shouwei Zuo; Wei Zhou; Jing Zhang; Xiong Wen David Lou
• Keywords: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Co atoms work; W 18 O 49 ultrathin nanowires; Information Systems not elsewhere classified; Biophysics; charge carrier separation; photoexcited electrons; Biochemistry; reaction switch; 01 natural sciences; photocatalytic CO 2 reduction; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; energy configuration; surface decoration; electron transport; W 18 O 49 Nanowires Perform; Efficient CO 2 Photoreduction; Co-atom-decorated W 18 O 49 nanowires; optimized catalyst; Computational Biology; cobalt atoms; Co atoms; 0104 chemical sciences; CO 2 reduction; redox capability; CO generation rate; Isolated Cobalt Centers; Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; W 18 O 49

Isolated cobalt atoms have been successfully decorated onto the surface of W18O49 ultrathin nanowires. The Co-atom-decorated W18O49 nanowires (W18O49@Co) greatly accelerate the charge carrier separation and electron transport in the catalytic system. Moreover, the surface decoration with Co atoms modifies the energy configuration of the W18O49@Co hybrid and thus boosts the redox capability of photoexcited electrons for CO2 reduction. The decorated Co atoms work as the real active sites and, perhaps more importantly, perform as a reaction switch to enable the reaction to proceed. The optimized catalyst delivers considerable activity for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, yielding an impressive CO generation rate of 21.18 mmol g-1 h-1.