Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into beneficial fuels and chemicals – a new horizon in atmospheric CO2 mitigation

Global industrialization and overreliance on fossil fuels for energy has triggered higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations and resulted in global warming. This fact necessitates the elimination of CO2 in the atmosphere. Inspired by natural photosynthesis and driven by the advancement in nanotechnology, the application of 2D-semiconductors in the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into beneficial products such as C1 and C2 compounds has gained significant momentum in research worldwide. Having understood the importance of this research area, this review discusses the fundamentals and in-depth mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of CO2 in synergy with various reaction pathways. Besides, it recapitulates the emerging and recently developed highly efficient, selective, and active photocatalysts for CO2 conversion. Also, the study incorporates the critical performance assessment of the various photocatalysts in the different reaction mediums and details various modification strategies with dopants, functional groups, co-catalyst, surface defects, and heterojunction band bending along with their roles in the enhancement of photocatalytic reduction of CO2. This review article is the first of its kind in covering the aspects of chemistry in the material - environment - energy nexus. Hence, it will be useful for the researchers and applicants working in the field of environmental engineering, materials science, energy, chemistry, and chemical engineering.