Comparison of CO2 Photoreduction Systems: A Review

Abstract

Wei-Ning Wang , Johnathon Soulis , Y. Jeffrey Yang , Pratim Biswas Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 14: 533–549, 2014 The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into hydrocarbon fuels is a promising way to recycle CO2 as a fuel feedstock by taking advantage of the readily available solar energy. This article reviews the basics of CO2 photoreduction mechanisms, limiting steps, possible strategies to enhance photoreduction efficiency, and the state-of-the-art photocatalytic systems for CO2 reduction. In particular, a comparison between different catalytic systems, including biological (plants and algae), inorganics (semiconductors), organics (molecular complexes), and hybrid (enzyme/semiconductors) systems is provided