NiO@Ni nanoparticles embedded in N-doped carbon for efficient photothermal CO_(2) methanation coupled with H_(2)O splitting

Photothermal carbon dioxide(CO_(2))methanation has attracted increasing interest in solar fuel synthesis,which employs the advantages of photocatalytic H_(2)O splitting as a hydrogen source and photothermal catalytic CO_(2) reduction.This work prepared three-dimensional(3D)honeycomb N-doped carbon(NC)loaded with core–shell NiO@Ni nanoparticles generated in situ at 500℃(NiO@Ni/NC-500).Under the photothermal catalysis(200℃,1.5 W/cm^(2)),the CH_(4) evolution rate of NiO@Ni/NC-500 reached 5.5 mmol/(g·h),which is much higher than that of the photocatalysis(0.8 mmol/(g·h))and the thermal catalysis(3.7 mmol/(g·h)).It is found that the generated localized surface plasmon resonance enhances the injection of hot electrons from Ni to NiO,while thermal heating accelerates the thermal motion of radicals,thus generating a strong photo-thermal synergistic effect on the reaction.The CO_(2) reduction to CH_(4) follows the*OCH pathway.This work demonstrates the synergistic effect of NiO@Ni and NC can enhance the catalytic performance of photothermal CO_(2) reduction reaction coupled with water splitting reaction.