Synthesis of polyoxometalate-pillared Zn-Cr layered double hydroxides for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction and H 2 O oxidation.

Polyoxometalate (POM)-pillared Zn-Cr layered double hydroxides (LDHs) exhibited high photocatalytic activities in CO 2 reduction and H 2 O oxidation reactions. For CO 2 reduction in pure water, the CO production was 1.17 μmol g -1 after a 24 h reaction. For O 2 evolution in NaIO 3 solution, the O 2 production reached 148.1 μmol g -1 after a 6 hour reaction. A mechanism study indicated that the electron transfer from Zn-Cr LDHs to POMs (SiW 12 O 40 4- ) promoted photocatalytic activities.