Fine-tuning the conjugate system of 0D heteroborane to construct an all-organic 0D/2D heterojunction for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Abstract The 0D/2D composite is considered a potential material due to its size tunability, thereby enhancing the separation efficiency of photoinduced carrier. Herein, a 0D/2D composite of heteroborane (xBC) confined in porous g-C3N4 nanosheets (PCN) was prepared by a facile synthesis strategy. The xBC complex is loaded on the surface of PCN sample to make the interface tight and shorten the charge diffusion distance, which can obviously promote the separation of photoinduced carriers. Moreover, through the use of organic synthesis strategies, the molecular structure of xBC is regulated at quantum size, thereby significantly affecting the ability of boron atoms to activate CO2 molecule. The reduction products of 2BCN composite are CH4, CO and H2, which is 10.2, 23.9 and 36.4 folds than that of PCN, respectively. This work provides insights for reimplanting active sites in quantum dots to further achieve robust solar CO2 conversion.