Amongst them, TiO 2 remains the most widely used, accounting for more than 50% of the published literature in this field 12. To succeed in this task and improve the current quantum yields, it is necessary to focus on the design of efficient photocatalysts capable of successfully managing photons and electrons, boosting the light absorption across the entire solar spectrum and enhancing charge separation and transport processes 8, 9, 10.Īn extensive number of heterogeneous CO 2 reduction photocatalysts have been developed in the last years 11, 12, 13.
One of the most significant scientific challenges today is the harnessing of sunlight to obtain fuels and chemicals by artificial photosynthesis 5, 6, 7. To reach this goal, it is essential to achieve the improvement and deployment of CO 2 capture and utilisation technologies 3, 4. Research efforts to develop sustainable and efficient carbon-neutral energy technologies are crucial to limit the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fulfilment of the future energy demand 1, 2. Our findings provide evidence of the key factors determining the enhancement of photoactivity under ultraviolet and visible irradiation, which have important implications for the design of solar energy conversion materials. Here, we use a combination of advanced in situ and time-resolved spectroscopies covering different timescales, combined with theoretical calculations, to unravel the overall mechanism of photocatalytic CO 2 reduction by Ag/TiO 2 catalysts. However, the photo-induced charge transfer processes and their influence on photocatalysis with these materials are still under debate, mainly due to the complexity of the involved routes occurring at different timescales. Interface interactions between plasmonic metal nanoparticles and semiconductors exhibit improved photoactivities under a wide range of the solar spectrum. Light-induced CO 2 reduction by artificial photosynthesis is one of the cornerstones to produce renewable fuels and environmentally friendly chemicals. Sunlight plays a critical role in the development of emerging sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies.