A p–n Junction by Coupling Amine-Enriched Brookite–TiO(2) Nanorods with Cu(x)S Nanoparticles for Improved Photocatalytic CO(2) Reduction

Photocatalytic CO(2) reduction is a promising technology for reaching the aim of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”, and it is crucial to design efficient photocatalysts with a rational surface and interface tailoring. Considering that amine modification on the surface of the photocatalyst could offer a favorable impact on the adsorption and activation of CO(2), in this work, amine-modified brookite TiO(2) nanorods (NH(2)-B-TiO(2)) coupled with Cu(x)S (NH(2)-B-TiO(2)-Cu(x)S) were effectively fabricated via a facile refluxing method. The formation of a p–n junction at the interface between the NH(2)-B-TiO(2) and the Cu(x)S could facilitate the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. Consequently, under light irradiation for 4 h, when the Cu(x)S content is 16%, the maximum performance for conversion of CO(2) to CH(4) reaches at a rate of 3.34 μmol g(−1) h(−1) in the NH(2)-B-TiO(2)-Cu(x)S composite, which is approximately 4 times greater than that of pure NH(2)-B-TiO(2). It is hoped that this work could deliver an approach to construct an amine-enriched p–n junction for efficient CO(2) photoreduction.