Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with H2O on titanium oxides anchored within micropores of zeolites: Effects of the structure of the active sites and the addition of Pt

Titanium oxide species anchored within the Y-zeolite cavities by an ion-exchange method exhibit a high and unique photocatalytic reactivity for the reduction of CO2 with H2O at 328 K with a high selectivity for the formation of CH3OH in the gas phase. The in situ photoluminescence, ESR, diffuse reflectance absorption, and XAFS (XANES and FT-EXAFS) investigations indicate that the titanium oxide species are highly dispersed within the zeolite cavities and exist in a tetrahedral coordination. The charge transfer excited state of the anchored titanium oxide species plays a significant role in the reduction of CO2 with H2O with a high selectivity for the formation of CH3OH, while the catalysts involving the aggregated octahedrally coordinated titanium oxide species show a high selectivity to produce CH4, being similar to reactions on the powdered TiO2 catalysts. The addition of Pt to the anchored titanium oxide catalysts promotes the charge separation which leads to an increase in the CH4 yields in place of CH3OH formation.