Two-Step Synthesis of Laminar Vanadate via a Facile Hydrothermal Route and Enhancing the Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 into Solar Fuel through Tuning of the Oxygen Vacancies by in Situ Vacuum Illumination Treatment

Monoclinic LaVO4, tetragonal CeVO4 and monoclinic Pb2V2O7 with laminar structures composed of nanosheets have been successfully fabricated using a two-step facile hydrothermal route. The narrow-bandgap LaVO4, CeVO4 and Pb2V2O7 vanadate exhibited photocatalytic activity toward the photoreduction of CO2 into C2H5OH in the liquid phase. The existence of oxygen vacancies on LaVO4 surface further enhanced the photocatalytic activity for photoreduction of CO2 into CO in gas phase, which can be easily obtained using a vacuum illumination treatment. The EPR, PL and FTIR results indicated that oxygen vacancies are beneficial to the separation of electrons by prolonging the lifetime of the photogenerated electrons and enhancing the chemisorption of CO2 on the photocatalyst surface.