Mesoporous silica-based catalysts for photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to high value-added products is considered as a green and sustainable approach to address energy and environmental issues. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted broad attention as catalytic nanosupport for photocatalytic CO2 reduction owing to their unique advantages such as large surface area, pore structure, and easily modified surfaces. This review mainly discusses the design, synthesis, and performance of mesoporous silica-based materials as catalysts for photoinduced CO2 reduction. Various types of mesoporous silica-based catalysts (such as metal-, metal oxides-, metal complexes-functionalized MSNs) in photocatalytic CO2 reduction systems are then discussed in detail. These discussions will provide scientific and technical guidance for the rational design of more efficient catalysts based on MSNs for photocatalytic reduction of CO2. Lastly, challenges and prospects for future research of photocatalytic CO2 reduction based on MSNs are proposed.