Graphene-Based Organic Semiconductor Film for Highly Selective Photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction

Mimicking artificial photosynthesis utilizing solar energy for the production of high-value chemicals is a sustainable strategy to tackle the fossil fuel-based energy crisis and mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO)–diketopyrrolopyrrol...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yanghong Xu, Haopeng Tang, Yifei Wang, Xiaofeng Zhu, Long Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Nanomaterials
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/677
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Summary:Mimicking artificial photosynthesis utilizing solar energy for the production of high-value chemicals is a sustainable strategy to tackle the fossil fuel-based energy crisis and mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO)–diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) film photocatalyst. GO nanosheets facilitate the uniform dispersion of DPP nanoparticles (~5 nm) while simultaneously constructing an efficient charge transport network to mitigate carrier recombination. Under visible-light irradiation in an aqueous solution without sacrificial agents, the optimized GO–DPP50 film catalyst exhibited exceptional performance, achieving a CO production rate of 32.62 μmol·g⁻<sup>1</sup>·h⁻<sup>1</sup> with nearly 100% selectivity. This represents 2.77-fold and 3.28-fold enhancements over pristine GO (8.65 μmol·g<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>) and bare DPP (7.62 μmol·g<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>), respectively. Mechanistic analysis reveals a synergistic mechanism. The 2D GO framework not only serves as a high-surface-area substrate for DPP anchoring, but also substantially suppresses charge recombination through rapid electron transport channels. Concurrently, the uniformly distributed DPP nanoparticles improve visible-light absorption efficiency and facilitate effective photogenerated carrier excitation. This work establishes a novel paradigm for the synergistic integration of 2D nanomaterials with organic semiconductors, providing critical design principles for developing high-performance film-based photocatalysts and selectivity control in CO<sub>2</sub> reduction applications.
ISSN:2079-4991