Incorporating plasmonic Au-nanoparticles into three-dimensionally ordered macroporous perovskite frameworks for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract Recently, halide perovskite nanocrystals have drawn great attention in photocatalytic CO2 reduction due to their suitable band alignment and outstanding optical-response capability. However, the intrinsic carrier recombination and the poor mass transport still hinder the practical photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance of halide perovskites. Herein, a novel three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Au-CsPbBr3 (3DOM Au-CPB) composite is demonstrated and applied as a high-efficient visible-light-driven CO2 reduction photocatalyst. Owing to the rationally designed 3DOM structure, better light-harvesting has been achieved. The loading of Au nanoparticles on one hand further enhances the optical response performance of the photocatalyst with the surface plasmon resonance effect; on the other hand, better carrier separation performance is realized by the band bending effect at the Au/CPB interfaces. Due to the synergy effect, the 3DOM Au-CPB catalyst offers greatly enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity compared with bulk CPB. This work provides a new approach to design novel metal/halide perovskite photocatalysts, which can be further applied in designing other halide perovskite-related devices.