Copper‐Decorated Microsized Nanoporous Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction by Water

Abstract A series of metallic copper (Cu)‐decorated microsized, nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) materials with different loadings of Cu were synthesized by in situ hydrolysis of Sn 2+ ‐grafted titanium glycolate microspheres in the presence of Cu 2+ ions. The resulting materials showed good photocatalytic activity for CO 2 reduction with water. In particular, the material prepared with an optimal loading of Cu (≈0.4 wt %) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO 2 to hydrocarbon fuel (CH 4 ), with an efficiency that was 21‐fold higher than that of the most commonly studied and utilized commercial photocatalyst, Degussa P25 TiO 2 , under similar reaction conditions.