Photoreduction of CO2 to methanol over Bi2S3/CdS photocatalyst under visible light irradiation

The Bi2S3, CdS and Bi2S3/CdS photocatalysts were prepared by direct reactions between their corresponding salt and thiourea in a hydrothermal autoclave. The photocatalytic activities of these photocatalysts for reducing CO2 to CH3OH under visible light irradiation have been investigated. The results show that the photocatalytic activity and visible light response of Bi2S3 are higher than those of CdS. The Bi2S3 modification can enhance the photocatalytic activity and visible light response of CdS. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2S3/CdS hetero-junction photocatalyst was the highest and the highest yields of methanol was 613 μmol/g when the weight proportion of Bi2S3 to CdS was 15%, which was about three times as large as that of CdS or two times of that of Bi2S3.