STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article

Nanostructured Catalysts for Sustainable CO2 Reduction: Advancing Green Chemistry and Polymer Composites

  1. Arsala Zamir Khan Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Wanadongri, Hingna, Nagpur
  2. Mangesh Bhorkar Department of Civil Engineering, G.H Raisoni College of Engineering Nagpur
  3. Shalini Sharma Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, Medicaps University, Indore
  4. Deepa Telang Department of Civil Engineering, G.H Raisoni College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur
  5. Abdul Ghaffar Department of Applied physics, Nagpur Institute of Technology (NIT), Nagpur

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of advanced nanostructured catalysts designed to enhance the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis for sustainable fuel production. We systematically evaluated a range of nanomaterials—including metal oxides, plasmonic nanoparticles, and carbon-based composites—to determine their effectiveness in converting solar energy into storable chemical fuels. The catalysts were synthesized via sol-gel, hydrothermal, and green methods, and their properties were thoroughly characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and BET surface area analysis. Experimental results identified AuNP-TiO₂ and graphene-TiO₂ composites as the most promising materials, achieving remarkable solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies of 28% and 26%, respectively. Corresponding product yields reached 48% and 45% under optimized conditions. This high performance is attributed to the significant enhancement in charge separation and broadened light absorption afforded by the integration of plasmonic (AuNP) and carbon-based (graphene) components. Key process parameters, including pH, temperature, and irradiation intensity, were systematically optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to maximize output. Beyond laboratory performance, the research assesses critical factors for real-world application, including energy efficiency, economic feasibility, and scalability. The findings highlight a clear pathway for the large-scale adoption of these technologies. In conclusion, this work offers actionable insights for designing high-performance nanocatalysts, providing a substantial contribution to the development of practical and renewable energy solutions through artificial photosynthesis.

Keywords

References (32)

  1. Liu, Y., Chen, J., & Wang, Z. Thermodynamic analysis and self-assembly behavior of peptide amphiphiles in aqueous solutions. J. Phys. Chem. B 123, 2222–2230 (2019).
  2. Zhang, X., Lian, S., & Zhang, L. Peptide amphiphiles with diverse functional groups for controlled self-assembly. Soft Matter 15, 2453–2460 (2019).
  3. Yu, H., Chen, Q., & Li, F. Amphiphilic peptides for drug delivery: from design to application. Pept. Sci. 118, e24199 (2018).
  4. Dehsorkhi, A., & Hamley, I. W. Self-assembling amphiphilic peptides in drug delivery. Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 65, 1041–1051 (2013).
  5. Ji, W., & Palmer, L. C. Peptide amphiphile nanostructures for biological applications. J. Mater. Chem. B 6, 731–746 (2018).
  6. Cui, H., & Stupp, S. I. Self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles: from molecules to nanostructures to biomaterials. Pept. Sci. 94, 1–18 (2010).
  7. Lin, Y., Zhang, X., & Huang, Y. Self-assembly of lipopeptides: from amphiphilic structure to functional nanostructures. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 285, 102291 (2020).
  8. Xie, J., & Yu, C. Rational design of peptide-based biomaterials for targeted drug delivery. Biomaterials 34, 6753–6767 (2013).
  9. Li, W., Li, X., & Zhang, Y. Peptide amphiphiles in nanomedicine: drug delivery and bioactive materials. Int. J. Nanomed. 9, 4657–4670 (2014).
  10. Li, X., & Wang, J. Molecular design and self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides for drug delivery applications. Soft Matter 13, 6022–6035 (2017).
  11. Zhang, X., et al. Peptide-based amphiphiles for drug delivery and tissue engineering. Biomater. Sci. 8, 15–26 (2020).
  12. Singh, N., et al. Supramolecular peptide gels: design, assembly, and applications. J. Mater. Chem. B 4, 2173–2184 (2016).
  13. Liu, Y., & Zhang, S. Peptide amphiphiles: self-assembly and applications. Biomaterials 29, 2777–2791 (2008).
  14. Zhang, S., et al. Self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles into nanoscale fibrous structures for drug delivery. Nanomed. Nanotechnol. Biol. Med. 3, 32–39 (2007).
  15. Guler, M. O., & Stupp, S. I. Peptide amphiphile nanofibers: design and applications. Biomaterials 28, 1730–1736 (2007).
  16. Huang, Z., et al. Supramolecular peptide hydrogels for biomedical applications. Soft Matter 13, 6395–6403 (2017).
  17. Liu, L., & Li, X. Self-assembled peptide-based nanomaterials for drug delivery. Int. J. Nanomed. 10, 2143–2158 (2015).
  18. Sato, K., et al. Biologically inspired self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles. Chem. Commun. 50, 12161–12164 (2014).
  19. McLellan, R., et al. Self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles: applications in materials science and nanomedicine. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 22, 122–130 (2014).
  20. Zhang, L., et al. Amphiphilic peptides in drug delivery systems: molecular design and applications. J. Mater. Chem. B 3, 5147–5159 (2015).
  21. Zhang, S., et al. Peptide-based materials for tissue engineering applications. J. Mater. Chem. 15, 4483–4491 (2005).
  22. Huang, Y., et al. Peptide amphiphiles for biomedical applications. Soft Matter 9, 10440–10447 (2013).
  23. Yang, Z., et al. Engineering peptide amphiphiles for targeted drug delivery. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 20, 4077–4083 (2010).
  24. Yu, H., et al. Lipidation of peptides and its implications for drug delivery. Trends Biotechnol. 34, 387–396 (2016).
  25. Wang, X., et al. Design of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles for drug delivery applications. Curr. Pharm. Des. 18, 1049–1060 (2012).
  26. Lan S, Wang B, Jiang T, Lin H, Pang Y, Chai G. Stannum-Doped Bismuth Nanocoral Catalysts for Highly Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate. ACS Applied Energy Materials. 2025;8(13):9311-9318. doi:10.1021/acsaem.5c00917
  27. Dang H, Guan B, Zhu L, Chen J, Zhuang Z, Ma Z, et al. A Review on Photocatalytic and Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 into C2+ Products: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. Energy & Fuels. 2025;39(22):10109-10133. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c00372
  28. Peng Shen, Ziyu Ji, Ke Ye, Xiaolin Ge, Tongwen Xu, Pengfei Xie, Wen-Bin Cai, Kun Jiang. Stabilized Triple-Phase Interface at CF4 Plasma Bombarded Cu Gas Diffusion Electrode for CO2-to-C2H4Valorization. NanoLetters 2025, 25 (20)8335-8343. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c01569
  29. Yipeng Zang, Haitao Li, Yan Sun, Lei Tang, Kangli Xu, Dunfeng Gao. Controlling the Activity and Selectivity of Cu Catalysts toward Industrially Relevant Ethanol Electrosynthesis via High-Index Step Density Engineering. ACSNano 2025, 19 (13)13436-13445. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c016372
  30. Qiu H, Zeng L, Wang F, Liu Y, Guo L. Scalable Electrode Engineering Techniques for Achieving Selective Ethanol Production Using Commercial Copper Catalysts. ACS Energy Letters. 2024;10(1):263-272. doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.4c02916
  31. Jiang Z, Clavaguéra C, Denisov SA, Ma J, Mostafavi M. Role of Oxide-Derived Cu on the Initial Elementary Reaction Intermediate During Catalytic CO2 Reduction. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2024;146(44):30164-30173. doi:10.1021/jacs.4c08603
  32. Chen Z, Ma Z, Fan G, Li F. Critical Role of Cu Nanoparticle-Loaded Cu(100) Surface Structures on Structured Copper-Based Catalysts in Boosting Ethanol Generation in CO2 Electroreduction. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2024;16(27):35143-35154. doi:10.1021/acsami.4c05973
Support