One-dimensional single atom arrays on ferroelectric nanosheets for enhanced CO2 photoreduction

• Main Authors: Liu, Lizhen, Hu, Jingcong, Ma, Zhaoyu, Zhu, Zijian, He, Bin, Chen, Fang, Lu, Yue, Xu, Rong, Zhang, Yihe, Ma, Tianyi, Sui, Manling, Huang, Hongwei
• Other Authors: School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Chemistry; Artificial photosynthesis; Atomic force microscopy;
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174925
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Single-atom catalysts show excellent catalytic performance because of their coordination environments and electronic configurations. However, controllable regulation of single-atom permutations still faces challenges. Herein, we demonstrate that a polarization electric field regulates single atom permutations and forms periodic one-dimensional Au single-atom arrays on ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets. The Au single-atom arrays greatly lower the Gibbs free energy for CO2 conversion via Au-O=C=O-Au dual-site adsorption compared to that for Au-O=C=O single-site adsorption on Au isolated single atoms. Additionally, the Au single-atom arrays suppress the depolarization of Bi4Ti3O12, so it maintains a stronger driving force for separation and transfer of photogenerated charges. Thus, Bi4Ti3O12 with Au single-atom arrays exhibit an efficient CO production rate of 34.15 µmol·g-1·h-1, ∼18 times higher than that of pristine Bi4Ti3O12. More importantly, the polarization electric field proves to be a general tactic for the syntheses of one-dimensional Pt, Ag, Fe, Co and Ni single-atom arrays on the Bi4Ti3O12 surface.