Research Progress of Enhancement Methods About Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Water as an Electron Donor to Produce Carbon Monoxide

ABSTRACT

Carbon mitigation and valorization have emerged as central research imperatives in the post‐industrial era. Through photocatalytic technology, carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) can be converted into carbon monoxide (CO) in aqueous media, with CO serving as a versatile feedstock for synthesizing high‐value organic compounds such as methanol. A diverse array of material fabrication strategies and cocatalyst engineering approaches have been developed to enhance the carbon conversion performance of photocatalytic systems. This review systematically summarizes prevailing modification strategies for photocatalysts. Representative photocatalysts with well‐matched band structures and abundant surface active sites for CO evolution are introduced. Modification strategies, including morphological engineering, oxygen vacancy construction, and elemental doping, are elaborated in detail. Furthermore, cocatalyst design principles and heterojunction construction are comprehensively discussed. Finally, the modulation of reaction media to improve CO production is analyzed. This review provides coherent guidelines for experimental design and offers valuable insights for future research in photocatalytic CO ₂ conversion.