PHOTOCATALYTIC REDUCTION OF CARBON-DIOXIDE TO HYDROCARBON USING COPPER-LOADED TITANIUM-DIOXIDE

The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide using copper-loaded titanium dioxide powders at ambient temperature has been reported. The Cu-TiO2 powders suspended in the solution, which was pressurized with CO2 of 28 kgf/cm2, were illuminated with an Xe lamp. The catalyst, Cu(less-than-or-equal-to 5 wt%)/TiO2, is specific for the products (i.e., the main products were methane and ethylene, and not methyl alcohol and formaldehyde). By the photochemical reduction, the yields for methane, ethylene, and ethane were 21.8 mul/g, 26.2 mul/g, and 2.7 mul/g, respectively, under optimum conditions. The carbon dioxide reduction system developed might well become of practical interest for photochemical fuel production, storage of solar energy, and production of raw materials for the photochemical industry.