Boosting Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction Efficiency by Heterostructures of NH₂-MIL-101(Fe)/g-C₃N₄

Visible light-driven photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into value-added chemical fuel is considered as an up-and-coming pathway for CO2 conversion utilizing green solar energy. Herein, we report heterostructures of NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/g-C3N4 (g-C3N4 = polymeric graphite-like carbon nitride) as prominent photocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 via a solvent-free reaction. Among these heterogeneous photocatalysts, NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/g-C3N4-30 wt % referred to as MCN-3 shows superior catalytic activity for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO with a CO yield of 132.8 μmol g–1, which is more than 3.6 times higher than that for pristine NH2-MIL-101(Fe) and 6.9 times higher than that for sole g-C3N4. In virtue of the elaborate designed photocatalysts and the gas–solid interfacial route, the heterostructure of NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/g-C3N4 with efficient interfacial electron transfer between NH2-MIL-101(Fe) and g-C3N4 results in the boosted photocatalytic reduction of CO2 upon visible light irradiation.