Molecular Cobaloxime Engineering on 2D Fullerene Nanosheets Enables Enhanced Photocatalytic CO₂ Conversion.

Abstract

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction represents a promising approach to mitigate atmospheric CO₂ levels while simultaneously synthesizing renewable fuels. However, current catalytic systems face significant challenges, including sluggish charge transfer kinetics, inefficient CO₂ activation, and limited stability. Herein, we report a molecular engineering strategy for immobilizing molecular cobaloxime catalysts onto two-dimensional (2D) fullerene nanosheets, constructing a heterostructured photocatalyst (2D C₆₀@cobaloxime). The cobaloxime modification enables directional electron transfer to Co sites, effectively suppressing charge recombination. The optimized system achieves a CO evolution rate of 18.1 μmol g^-1 h^-1, 7.5-fold higher than pristine 2D C₆₀, with 96.3% selectivity and excellent stability over 45 h. This performance enhancement primarily stems from the uniform dispersion of the immobilized cobaloxime and strong interfacial contact with the support interface, which synergistically facilitate efficient charge transfer and provide abundant catalytically active sites. This work demonstrates the potential of molecular-inorganic interface engineering for advancing solar-driven CO₂ conversion technologies.