Production of Methanol from Aqueous CO2 by Using Co3O4 Nanostructures as Photocatalysts

<div>The electronic absorption spectra in the UV-visible-NIR region using the diffuse reflectance mode of (a) Co3O4-NPs (black powder) and (c) Co3O4-P-NS (dark grey powder). <svg height="13.8595pt" id="M4" style="vertical-align:-2.2681pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -11.5914 51.8258 13.8595" width="51.8258pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,4.498,0)"><path d="M584 650H137L131 622C214 614 217 612 200 521L125 127C109 41 101 35 23 28L17 0H288L294 28C201 35 193 42 209 128L242 309H348C440 309 442 300 443 226H471L510 422H482C452 354 449 348 357 348H251L295 575C302 609 304 615 338 615H426C502 615 517 604 526 581C534 560 536 524 537 492L565 494C574 554 583 631 584 650Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.393,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,16.891,0)"><path d="M610 18C585 26 567 34 540 68C517 97 499 128 476 171C452 215 425 276 413 304C496 332 570 394 570 494C570 555 545 595 509 619S419 650 364 650H139L133 622C216 615 219 612 203 527L129 132C112 40 105 36 23 28L17 0H279L285 28C199 34 194 40 211 132L239 284H284C320 284 334 275 351 236C374 182 394 140 420 93C459 23 495 -1 592 -8H600L610 18ZM480 485C480 424 449 372 403 342C374 323 338 316 293 316H245L291 562C296 589 301 601 311 608S337 618 358 618C432 618 480 575 480 485Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,25.042,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,29.54,0)"><path d="M499 88L487 113C459 86 422 65 413 65C403 65 403 74 409 98L461 318C487 426 460 448 431 448C408 448 383 441 352 424C305 398 223 344 157 257H155L243 674C249 702 249 712 240 712C227 712 170 680 87 673L82 648H117C155 648 162 644 150 590L23 -4L30 -12C55 -4 81 3 105 8C113 53 131 150 143 187C199 281 323 387 372 387C390 387 393 369 380 311L328 86C313 19 319 -12 347 -12C379 -12 442 24 499 88Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,36.249,0)"><path d="M219 86C216 168 211 250 206 337C201 410 189 448 163 448C131 448 79 396 43 344L60 322C91 359 110 375 118 375S132 358 136 298C141 238 152 81 155 -12H182C242 62 331 177 390 258C435 321 451 360 451 391C450 424 432 448 408 448C390 448 372 435 366 419C362 410 362 401 366 394C373 383 376 367 376 350C376 283 262 138 221 86H219Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,42.112,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,46.61,-5.741)"><path d="M414 144C384 79 371 75 317 75H135L276 221C367 316 408 376 408 465C408 570 327 635 237 635C179 635 131 609 100 575L42 494L67 471C94 510 138 565 205 565C277 565 321 517 321 435C321 348 258 270 195 195C146 137 88 81 33 26V0H411C423 44 433 88 446 135L414 144Z"></path></g></svg> vs. photon energy plot of (b) Co3O4-NPs (two direct band gaps, 2.19 and 1.55 eV, were found in the main plot, and the insertion shows the third band gap, 0.78 eV) and (d) Co3O4-P-NS (three direct band gaps, 1.96, 1.48, and 0.76 eV, were determined).</div>

Journal of Nanomaterials

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Figure 2

Figure 2: Production of Methanol from Aqueous CO2 by Using Co3O4 Nanostructures as Photocatalysts