Efficient and selective photocatalytic CO2 conversion enabled by FePc nanosheets in a dye-sensitized system

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65061-9

Abstract

Abstract: Solar-driven photocatalytic CO₂ conversion offers a sustainable solution for greenhouse gas mitigation and renewable energy storage. While metal phthalocyanines (MPc) exhibit excellent CO₂ reduction capabilities, their practical application in dispersed photocatalytic systems faces limitations of the stacking of MPc molecules that reduces active site accessibility, and inefficient electron transfer limited by diffusive mass transport. To address these challenges, we developed a bioinspired dye-sensitized RuP-TiO₂-FePc nanosheets (NSs) hybrid system, where ultrathin FePc NSs obtained by liquid-phase ultrasonic exfoliation enhance active site exposure and mass transfer, while TiO₂ serves as a mediator to facilitate electron transfer between the photosensitizer and FePc NSs. Time-resolved spectroscopic studies demonstrate that TiO₂ plays a dual role: it spatially organizes functional components to enable surface electron transfer by shortening intermolecular distances, while also functioning as a semiconductor bridge to facilitate charge transport. This synergistic design achieves a remarkable CO production rate of 27.3 mmol g^‒1 h^‒1 (> 98% selectivity) and exceptional stability (TON_CO = 1363 over 100 h), outperforming many noble-metal-based systems. Our work demonstrates a robust strategy for optimizing bulk catalysts through 2D exfoliation and controlled heterogenization, offering a versatile platform for efficient and durable artificial photosynthesis.

Key words: CO₂ reduction, FePc nanosheets, Dye-sensitized photocatalysis, Electron transfer, Artificial photosynthesis

Hua Gao, Yong Zhu, Zhibing Wen, Ran Zhao, Zhi Chen, Siyao Wang, Shuanglin He, Kuang Peng, Yiwen Tang, Licheng Sun, Fei Li. Efficient and selective photocatalytic CO₂ conversion enabled by FePc nanosheets in a dye-sensitized system[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65061-9.

×
share this article

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65061-9

https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2026/V/I/6

References

[1] X. Zhao, B. Deng, H. Xie, Y. Li, Q. Ye, F. Dong,Chin. Chem. Lett., 2024, 35, 109139.
[2] A. Ma, J. Wang, Y. Wang, Y. Zuo, Y. Ren, X. Ma, S. Wang,Polyoxometalates, 2024, 3, 9140054.
[3] S.-Q. Li, L.-J. Li, Y.-Q. Tian, W.-L. Mu, R.-X. Meng, J. Yan, C. Liu,Polyoxometalates, 2024, 3, 9140038.
[4] J. Du, Y.-Y. Ma, W.-J. Cui, S.-M. Zhang, Z.-G. Han, R.-H. Li, X.-Q. Han, W. Guan, Y.-H. Wang, Y.-Q. Li, Y. Liu, F.-Y. Yu, K.-Q. Wei, H.-Q. Tan, Z.-H. Kang, Y.-G. Li,Appl. Catal. B, 2022, 318, 121812.
[5] J. Sun, J. Bian, J. Li, Z. Zhang, Z. Li, Y. Qu, L. Bai, Z.-D. Yang, L. Jing,Appl. Catal. B, 2020, 277, 119199.
[6] F. Lin, W. Lin, J. Lin, Z. Xiao, Y. Hui, J. Chen, Y. Wang,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, 13, 3287-3294.
[7] E. Nikoloudakis, I. López-Duarte, G. Charalambidis, K. Ladomenou, M. Ince, A. G. Coutsolelos,Chem. Soc. Rev., 2022, 51, 6965-7045.
[8] S. Yang, Y. Yu, M. Dou, Z. Zhang, L. Dai, F. Wang,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58, 14724-14730.
[9] W.-F. Wei, X. Li, K. Jiang, B. Zhang, X. Zhuang, T. Cai,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023, 62, e202304608.
[10] H. Gu, G. Shi, L. Zhong, L. Liu, H. Zhang, C. Yang, K. Yu, C. Zhu, J. Li, S. Zhang, C. Chen, Y. Han, S. Li, L. Zhang,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 21502-21511.
[11] Z. Kou, L. Wu, X. Yang, B. Yang, Z. Li, X. Gao, S. Zhou, L. Lei, T. Ma, Y. Hou,Nano Energy, 2022, 98, 107297.
[12] A. Pannwitz, D. M. Klein, S. Rodríguez-Jiménez, C. Casadevall, H. Song, E. Reisner, L. Hammarström, S. Bonnet,Chem. Soc. Rev., 2021, 50, 4833-4855.
[13] S. Lei, L. Bi, L. Chen, Z.-T. Li, J. Tian,Sci. China Chem., 2025, 68, 2820-2844.
[14] M. Hansen, F. Li, L. Sun, B. König,Chem. Sci., 2014, 5, 2683-2687.
[15] B. Limburg, J. Wermink, S. S. van Nielen, R. Kortlever, M. T. M. Koper, E. Bouwman, S. Bonnet,ACS Catal., 2016, 6, 5968-5977.
[16] S. Rodríguez-Jiménez, H. Song, E. Lam, D. Wright, A. Pannwitz, S. A. Bonke, J. J. Baumberg, S. Bonnet, L. Hammarström, E. Reisner,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 9399-9412.
[17] S.-Y. Takizawa, T. Okuyama, S. Yamazaki, K.-I. Sato, H. Masai, T. Iwai, S. Murata, T. Jun,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145, 15049-15053.
[18] H.-J. Son, C. Pac, S. O. Kang,Acc. Chem. Res., 2021, 54, 4530-4544.
[19] A. Kobayashi, S.-Y. Takizawa, M. Hirahara,Coord. Chem. Rev., 2022, 467, 214624.
[20] J.-F. Huang, Y. Lei, T. Luo, J.-M. Liu,ChemSusChem, 2020, 13, 5863-5895.
[21] S. K. Choi, H. S. Yang, J. H. Kim, H. Park, Appl. Catal. B, 2012, 121-122, 206-213.
[22] J.-F. Huang, J.-M. Liu, L.-M. Xiao, Y.-H. Zhong, L. Liu, S. Qin, J. Guo, C.-Y. Su,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 2993-2999.
[23] E. Aslan, M. K. Gonce, M. Z. Yigit, A. Sarilmaz, E. Stathatos, F. Ozel, M. Can, I. H. Patir,Appl. Catal. B, 2017, 210, 320-327.
[24] Y.-H. Zhong, Y. Lei, J.-F. Huang, L.-M. Xiao, X.-L. Chen, T. Luo, S. Qin, J. Guo, J.-M. Liu,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 8883-8891.
[25] Y.-F. Chen, L.-L. Tan, J.-M. Liu, S. Qin, Z.-Q. Xie, J.-F. Huang, Y.-W. Xu, L.-M. Xiao, C.-Y. Su,Appl. Catal. B, 2017, 206, 426-433.
[26] X.-F. Shen, M. Watanabe, J. T. Song, A. Takagaki, T. Abe, K. Tanaka, T. Ishihara,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 21153-21160.
[27] E.-G. Ha, J.-A. Chang, S.-M. Byun, C. Pac, D.-M. Jang, J. Park, S. O. Kang,Chem. Commun., 2014, 50, 4462-4464.
[28] D.-I. Won, J.-S. Lee, J.-M. Ji, W.-J. Jung, H.-J. Son, C. Pac, S. O. Kang,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137, 13679-13690.
[29] J.-S. Lee, D.-I. Won, W.-J. Jung, H.-J. Son, C. Pac, S. O. Kang,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 976-980.
[30] D.-I. Won, J.-S. Lee, Q. Ba, Y.-J. Cho, H.-Y. Cheong, S. Choi, C. H. Kim, H.-J. Son, C. Pac, S. O. Kang,ACS Catal., 2018, 8, 1018-1030.
[31] V. Nikolaou, C. Govind, E. Balanikas, J. Bharti, S. Diring, E. Vauthey, M. Robert, F. Odobel,Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2024, 63, e202318299.
[32] V. Nikolaou, P. B. Pati, H. Terrisse, M. Robert, F. Odobel,EES Catal., 2024, 2, 1314-1319.
[33] Y. Zhu, D. Wang, Q. Huang, J. Du, L. Sun, F. Li, T. J. Meyer,Nat. Commun., 2020, 11, 4610.
[34] J. Li, Y. Zhu, F. Li, G. Liu, S. Xu, L. Sun,Chin. J. Catal., 2021, 42, 1352-1359.
[35] S. Xu, Y. Ding, J. Du, Y. Zhu, G. Liu, Z. Wen, X. Liu, Y. Shi, H. Gao, L. Sun, F. Li,ACS Catal., 2022, 12, 5502-5509.
[36] Q. Wang, H. Li, J.-H. Yang, Q. Sun, Q. Li, J. Yang,Appl. Catal. B, 2016, 192, 182-192.
[37] D. V. Leybo, A. A. Ryzhova, A. T. Matveev, K. L. Firestein, P. A. Tarakanov, A. S. Konopatsky, A. L. Trigub, E. V. Sukhanova, Z. I. Popov, D. V. Golberg, D. V. Shtansky,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 11874-11888.
[38] W. Fa, L. Zan, C. Gong, J. Zhong, K. Deng,Appl. Catal. B, 2008, 79, 216-223.
[39] G. Liu, Y. Zhu, H. Gao, S. Xu, Z. Wen, L. Sun, F. Li,ACS Catal., 2023, 13, 8445-8454.
[40] Y. Mo, C. Wang, L. Xiao, W. Chen, W. Lu,Catal. Sci. Technol., 2021, 11, 5952-5961.
[41] L. Zhang, Z. Chen, Y. Wu, T. Yang, L.-B. Kong, Q. Liu,J. Mol. Struct., 2025, 1319, 139411.
[42] X.-J. Li, M.-Y. Qi, J.-Y. Li, C.-L. Tan, Z.-R. Tang, Y.-J. Xu,Chin. J. Catal., 2023, 51, 55-65.
[43] W. Li, X. Li, X. Fu, Z. Lou, Y. Zhu, Y. Zhang,Chem. Eng. J., 2023, 451, 138932.
[44] Y. Zhu, D. Wang, W. Ni, G. G. Gurzadyan, L. Sun, T. J. Meyer, F. Li,J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 9121-9128.
[45] Y. Jiao, Y. Chen, L. Liu, X. Yu, G. Tian,Small, 2024, 20, 2309094.
[46] Y. Qi, H. Sun, P. She, J. Wu, J. Han, Q. Xu, J.-S. Qin, H. Rao,Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025, 35, 2505021.
[47] H. Wu, J. Bian, Z. Zhang, Z. Zhao, S. Xu, Z. Li, N. Jiang, E. Kozlova, X. Hua, L. Jing,Appl. Surf. Sci., 2023, 623, 157066.
[48] Z. He, Y. Liu, Z. Li, S. Xu, Z. Li, J. Bian, L. Jing,Appl. Catal. B, 2024, 355, 124207.
[49] Z. Meng, J. Luo, W. Li, K. A. Mirica,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 21656-21669.

Efficient and selective photocatalytic CO₂ conversion enabled by FePc nanosheets in a dye-sensitized system

PDF (PC)

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

share this article

References

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

[1]	Bin Yang, Ouardia Akdim, Chengcheng Yuan, Ruina Li, Luo Yu, Hermenegildo García, Jiaguo Yu, Graham J. Hutchings, Panyong Kuang. In-situ reconstructed Cu-In₂O₃ electron-rich interfaces facilitate high selective CO₂-to-CO conversion at low potentials [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 85(6): 117-129.
[2]	Jinhai Yu, Yingdi Hao, Yingzhi Ren, Beibei Zhao, Ge Ma, Zihao Guo, Yan Zhang, Xiaoqiang Huang. Radical hydroazidation of alkene enabled by synergistic photobiocatalysis combining ene-reductase with an organophotocatalyst [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 85(6): 88-95.
[3]	Ran Sun, Yuqi Zhang, Kunge Hou, Yujie Tan, Xingang Liu, Jianyuan Hou, Weixuan Zhao, Andrew E. H. Wheatley, Renxi Zhang. Designing hydrogen-bonds in covalent organic frameworks: accelerating proton-coupled electron transfer for enhanced photocatalytic H₂O₂ synthesis [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 84(5): 274-287.
[4]	Wei Guo, Zhenlin Mo, Laiji Xu, Yu Zhang, Minghui Yang, Baojun Liu. High-entropy alloy FeCoNiCuPt with donor-bridge effect for enhancing urea electrosynthesis from CO₂ and nitrate [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 84(5): 159-174.
[5]	Yun Xing, Lei Liu, Wen-Jing Kong, Jun-Tai Tian, Peng Liu, Chen Yang, Ming-Li Fu, Dai-Qi Ye. Ce-activated metallic foam carriers for efficient butyl acetate oxidation: Dual roles of intrinsic redox cycling and interfacial electron transfer [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 84(5): 390-400.
[6]	Haoyi Wang, Yankai Zhang, Chunying Si, Yunbiao Qi, Quanxing Zhang, Wei Jiang. Dual-functional ionic liquid catalysts for efficient photooxidative upcycling of polystyrene to benzoic acid [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 83(4): 231-243.
[7]	Tao Wei, Zhanpeng Liang, Boxin Zhang, Yunhao Xu, Zhaoxue Sun, Minghao Duo, Minghui Chen, Sheng Zhang, Bao Zhang. Efficient electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction by crystalline polymetallophthalocyanine covalent organic frameworks unprecedentedly constructed involving 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-type nucleophilic catalyst [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 83(4): 319-329.
[8]	Fuhao Yin, Qianyu Zhang, Mao Xu, Shupeng Wei, Yi Li, Pengzuo Chen, Yanying Zhao, Benxia Li. Synergistic Pd species anchored in ordered macroporous In₂O₃ boosting solar-driven CO₂ and H₂O conversion [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 82(3): 238-250.
[9]	Bei Han, Chen Jin, Cuihong Luo, Yuntao Liu, Zhichao Dai, Yunqiang Sun, Zibao Gan, Chong-Chen Wang, Xiuwen Zheng, Zunfu Hu. FeNi nanoparticles cooperate with single-atom sites to drive non-radical fenton-like catalysis: Dominant singlet oxygen and electron transfer pathways for efficient wastewater purification [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 82(3): 187-200.
[10]	Liting Huang, Yecheng Zhou, Yongfeng Lun, Qi Wang, Zhaobin Ding, Shuqin Song, Yi Wang. Tail group structure effect of ligand-protected gold nanocluster catalysts on electrochemical CO₂ reduction [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 81(2): 195-205.
[11]	Yana Men, Yuzhou Jiao, Yanxing Zheng, Xiaoyan Wang, Shengli Chen, Peng Li. pH-dependent protic ionic liquid tuning effect on oxygen reduction activity of a molecular iron catalyst and its electrochemical interfacial origin [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 80(1): 258-269.
[12]	Jiaqi Xiang, Limiao Chen, Shanyong Chen, You-Nian Liu. Alkali cation effects in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 80(1): 38-58.
[13]	Liyuan Xiao, Zhenlu Wang, Jingqi Guan. Advances in multinuclear metal-organic frameworks for electrocatalysis [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 80(1): 59-91.
[14]	Xue Bai, Tianmi Tang, Jingru Sun, Fuquan Bai, Jing Hu, Jingqi Guan. Engineering d-band structure of Zn-doped CuO_xH_y for boosting CO₂ electroreduction performance [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 80(1): 248-257.
[15]	Chen Hongjing, Li Yueying, Chen Min, Xie Zhongkai, Shi Weidong. Sulfur electron bridge mediating CuInS₂/CuS heterostructure for highly selective CO₂ photoreduction to C₂H₄ [J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2025, 75(8): 180-191.