Ag-Cu Nanoparticles Supported on N-Doped TiO_2 Nanowire Arrays for Efficient Photocatalytic CO_2 Reduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO_2 into various types of fuels has attracted great interest, and serves as a potential solution to addressing current global warming and energy challenges. In this work, Ag-Cu nanoparticles are densely supported on N-doped TiO_2 nanowire through a straightforward nanofabrication approach. The range of light absorption by N-doped TiO_2 can be tuned to match the plasmonic band of Ag nanoparticles, which allows synergizing a resonant energy transfer process with the Schottky junction. Meanwhile, Cu nanoparticles can provide active sites for the reduction of CO_2 molecules. Remarkably, the performance of photocatalytic CO_2 reduction is improved to produce CH_4 at a rate of 720 \mumol\cdotg^-1\cdoth^-1 under full-spectrum irradiation.