Visible-Light Photoreduction of CO2 to CH4 over ZnTe-Modified TiO2 Coral-Like Nanostructures.

Rapidly depleting fossil fuels and the related environmental issues are two alarming global concerns the world is facing today. To address these issues efficiently, future energy requirements need to be fulfilled by renewable and environmentally friendly resources. In this context, we report the ZnTe-modified TiO2 photocatalysts with varying amounts of ZnTe (1.96, 16, and 65 %) for the photoreduction of carbon dioxide into methane under visible light. The hydrothermally synthesized photocatalysts have been characterized by using various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis for surface-area measurements. The photocatalyst with 1.96 % ZnTe shows the best results, which are attributed to its high BET specific surface area and the formation of a heterojunction at the interface, which can facilitate efficient charge transfer.