Interfacial engineering of cage-like ZnCoOx s-scheme heterojunction embedded in honeycomb N-doped graphitic carbon for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction

This study introduces a novel interfacial engineering approach for the in-situ growth of caged zinc-cobalt bimetallic oxides (ZnCoOx) on the surface and within a three-dimensional honeycomb N-doped graphitic carbon (3D N-GC) framework. This study presents the demonstration of an S-Scheme heterojunction structure, serving as an atomic-level charge transfer pathway for directed electron and carrier migration. The in-situ growth of ZnCoOx on the porous carbon substrate creates a plethora of active sites crucial for catalyzing the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction. The resulting ZnCoOx/N-GC composites, characterized by a high specific surface area, provide an abundance of active sites for CO2 adsorption. Remarkably, the optimized ZnCoOx/N-GC photocatalyst demonstrates exceptional performance in converting CO2 into CH4 and CO under visible light exposure, achieving yields of 7.60 and 4.80 mu mol h- 1 g- 1, respectively. This work showcases an innovative methodology for designing atomic-level interfaces in the synthesis of graphitic carbon materials and bimetallic oxides, paving the way for future research endeavors in this field. The combination of bimetallic oxides with NGC materials in this study set the stage for further advancements in the field of photocatalysis.