Photocatalytic CO2 reduction of BaCeO3 with 4f configuration electrons

The perovskite-type photocatalyst BaCeO3, prepared by a Pechini method, was investigated for CO2 reduction under UV light irradiation. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area measurement, UV-vis reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the flat band potential was confirmed by Mott-Schottky measurements. The effects of various cocatalyst nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pt, CuO, and RuO2) on the photocatalytic activities of BaCeO3 were also discussed. Among these cocatalysts, Ag nanoparticles exhibited the best performance for improving the photocatalytic activities of CO2 reduction.