Defect‐Rich Bi12O17Cl2 Nanotubes Self‐Accelerating Charge Separation for Boosting Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Abstract Solar‐driven reduction of CO 2 , which converts inexhaustible solar energy into value‐added fuels, has been recognized as a promising sustainable energy conversion technology. However, the overall conversion efficiency is significantly limited by the inefficient charge separation and sluggish interfacial reaction dynamics, which resulted from a lack of sufficient active sites. Herein, Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 superfine nanotubes with a bilayer thickness of the tube wall are designed to achieve structural distortion for the creation of surface oxygen defects, thus accelerating the carrier migration and facilitating CO 2 activation. Without cocatalyst and sacrificing reagent, Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanotubes deliver high selectivity CO evolution rate of 48.6 μmol g −1 h −1 in water (16.8 times than of bulk Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 ), while maintaining stability even after 12 h of testing. This paves the way to design efficient photocatalysts with collaborative optimizing charge separation and CO 2 activation towards CO 2 photoreduction.