Highly Dispersed Pt Nanoparticle-Doped Mesoporous ZnO Photocatalysts for Promoting Photoconversion of CO(2) to Methanol

[Image: see text] Photoreduction of CO(2) is considered a challenge due to the lack of effective photocatalysts with wide-spectrum absorption, active charge separation dynamically, and CO(2) adsorption. Herein, mesoporous Pt/ZnO nanocomposites with different Pt percentages (0.5–2%) have been fabricated using the sol–gel process in the presence of a template for CO(2) photoreduction during visible-light exposure. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) deposited onto mesoporous ZnO with a considerable surface area can effectively promote charge mobility. The mesoporous 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite exhibits an optimal CH(3)OH yield (668 μmol g(–1)), which is 18.5-fold larger than that of mesoporous ZnO (36 μmol g(–1)). The most photoactive material was the 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite, producing CH(3)OH of 668 μmol g(–1), and the production rate of CH(3)OH over the 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite (74.11 μmol g(–1) h(–1)) was increased 20 times in comparison with ZnO NPs (3.72 μmol g(–1) h(–1)). The enhancement of CO(2) photoreduction efficiency over Pt/ZnO nanocomposites was attributed to the formation of the heterojunction at the Pt/ZnO interface, promoting a lower resistance to charge transfer and a larger electron transfer to the conduction band. Mesoporous Pt/ZnO nanocomposites offer enhanced accessibility and a larger surface area. Such an unparalleled mesostructure provides a new framework for the construction and design of photoactive materials with high-efficiency photocatalysts.