Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Carbon-Coated Indium-Oxide Nanobelts

Indium-oxide (In 2 O 3 ) nanobelts coated by a 5-nm-thick carbon layer provide an enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to CO and CH 4, yielding CO and CH 4 evolution rates of 126.6 and 27.9 μmol h –1, respectively, with water as reductant and Pt as co-catalyst. The carbon coat promotes the absorption of visible light, improves the separation of photoinduced electron–hole pairs, increases the chemisorption of CO 2, makes more protons from water splitting participate in CO 2 reduction, and thereby facilitates the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to CO and CH 4 .