title: Solar light photocatalytic CO2 reduction: general considerations and selected bench-mark photocatalysts.
abstract: The reduction of carbon dioxide to useful chemicals has received a great deal of attention as an alternative to the depletion of fossil resources without altering the atmospheric CO2 balance. As the chemical reduction of CO2 is energetically uphill due to its remarkable thermodynamic stability, this process requires a significant transfer of energy. Achievements in the fields of photocatalysis during the last decade sparked increased interest in the possibility of using sunlight to reduce CO2. In this review we discuss some general features associated with the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 for the production of solar fuels, with considerations to be taken into account of the photocatalyst design, of the limitations arising from the lack of visible light response of titania, of the use of co-catalysts to overcome this shortcoming, together with several strategies that have been applied to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of CO2 reduction. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive review of the area, but to present general aspects to be considered, and then to outline which are currently the most efficient photocatalytic systems.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química CSIC-UPV, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Av. De los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. stefan_neatu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neațu
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química CSIC-UPV, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Av. De los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. j.a.macia.agullo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maciá-Agulló
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química CSIC-UPV, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Av. De los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. hgarcia@qim.upv.es.
authors.forename: Hermenegildo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D059205:Renewable Energy; D013472:Sunlight; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium