TiO₂-based photocatalysts have attracted great interest, with regard to their ability to convert CO₂ into hydrocarbons, because of their excellent stability, nontoxicity, and low cost. However, this reaction suffers from low efficiency when TiO₂-based materials are used owing to inefficient CO₂ capture on the TiO₂ surface.

To tackle this problem Can Xue, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and co-workers have functionalized TiO₂ nanoparticles with amine groups, which substantially facilitate the capture of CO₂ for photoconversion. This chemisorption causes more-effective activation of the CO₂ and charge transfer from excited TiO₂. The result is the enhancement of the photocatalytic rate of CO₂ reduction to methane and CO. No decrease in yield was observed after three cycles, suggesting high stability of the TiO₂-based catalyst during the photocatalytic process.

The researchers hope that this research will lead to further developments in the area of efficient CO₂ capture.

• Efficient CO₂ Capture and Photoreduction by Amine-Functionalized TiO₂,
  Yusen Liao, Shao-Wen Cao, Yupeng Yuan, Quan Gu, Zhenyi Zhang, Can Xue,
  Chem. Eur. J. 2014.
  DOI: 10.1002/chem.201403321