Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion
Abstract Scaling up methanol yields by artificial photosynthesis at a modest cost remains thermodynamically challenge. Designing concerted reaction sites to control intermediate evolution and stimulate proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is necessary. Here we show a nickel-titanium-based catalys...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63179-7 |
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| _version_ | 1849226143486443520 |
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| author | Ruonan Wang Mingjia Zhang Jingjing Liu Xu Wu Shule Zhang Qin Zhong Jianfeng Yao |
| author_facet | Ruonan Wang Mingjia Zhang Jingjing Liu Xu Wu Shule Zhang Qin Zhong Jianfeng Yao |
| author_sort | Ruonan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Scaling up methanol yields by artificial photosynthesis at a modest cost remains thermodynamically challenge. Designing concerted reaction sites to control intermediate evolution and stimulate proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is necessary. Here we show a nickel-titanium-based catalyst that achieves near-millimolar hourly methanol yields with 99.79% selectivity and a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 2.23%. This catalyst is synthesized through one-step etching of NiTi-layered double hydroxide, which generates abundant unsaturated sites, along with the in-situ formation of amorphous TiO2. Revealed by in-situ characterizations, these defect-rich units effectively suppress the formation of undesirable carbonate while promoting the favorable *COOH intermediate. Furthermore, theoretical simulations confirm this *COOH boost facilitates the production of *CO and accelerates the PCET steps. This work significantly advances efficient methanol production by artificial photosynthesis and offers fundamental insights into controlling reaction pathways for renewable fuel synthesis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-848da321f79f476792c0723185dcc047 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-848da321f79f476792c0723185dcc0472025-08-24T11:39:36ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111210.1038/s41467-025-63179-7Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversionRuonan Wang0Mingjia Zhang1Jingjing Liu2Xu Wu3Shule Zhang4Qin Zhong5Jianfeng Yao6Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry UniversityCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of TechnologyCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyJiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry UniversityAbstract Scaling up methanol yields by artificial photosynthesis at a modest cost remains thermodynamically challenge. Designing concerted reaction sites to control intermediate evolution and stimulate proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is necessary. Here we show a nickel-titanium-based catalyst that achieves near-millimolar hourly methanol yields with 99.79% selectivity and a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 2.23%. This catalyst is synthesized through one-step etching of NiTi-layered double hydroxide, which generates abundant unsaturated sites, along with the in-situ formation of amorphous TiO2. Revealed by in-situ characterizations, these defect-rich units effectively suppress the formation of undesirable carbonate while promoting the favorable *COOH intermediate. Furthermore, theoretical simulations confirm this *COOH boost facilitates the production of *CO and accelerates the PCET steps. This work significantly advances efficient methanol production by artificial photosynthesis and offers fundamental insights into controlling reaction pathways for renewable fuel synthesis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63179-7 |
| spellingShingle | Ruonan Wang Mingjia Zhang Jingjing Liu Xu Wu Shule Zhang Qin Zhong Jianfeng Yao Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion Nature Communications |
| title | Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion |
| title_full | Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion |
| title_fullStr | Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion |
| title_short | Defect-phase engineered NiTi-TiO2 enabling near-unity selective photocatalytic CO2-to-methanol conversion |
| title_sort | defect phase engineered niti tio2 enabling near unity selective photocatalytic co2 to methanol conversion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63179-7 |
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