Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Co₂ Reduction Into Valuable Products Using Nickel-based Metal-organic Frameworks

The conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals through photochemical processes has been considered to be a potential technique to address environmental challenges. A good number of MOFs-based nickel (Ni-MOFs) compounds have garnered significant interest in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 due to their abundant active sites, tunable structure, the good affinity between CO2, Ni elements, and other properties. This mini-review summarizes the different works on using Ni-MOFs as catalysts for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 by focusing on applying pristine, monometallic, and multimetallic Ni-MOFs. The advantages of combining Ni-MOFs with other potential semiconductors and their derivatives in improving the photocatalytic activity of the CO2 reduction will also be discussed. Moreover, the challenges and opportunities associated with this class of materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction will be debated to inspire further research in this emerging field.