From waste to fuel: Metal-free carbon nanodots for selective CO2 photoreduction into methanol

Addressing the major challenge of global warming by implementing a circular carbon cycle involving CO2 conversion is currently an urgent priority for a more sustainable future. The design of efficient, stable, cheap and eco-friendly systems for such purpose is a remarkable challenge. This study reports an unprecedented metal-free, co-catalyst-free orange peel waste–derived carbon nanodot highly active and selective system for the photoreduction of CO2 into methanol. The waste-derived photocatalyst exhibited a maximum methanol production rate of 416.6 μmolMeOH.gcat -1 .h 1 and a highly stable methanol production rate of 12.9 μmolMeOH.gcat-1 .h 1 after 72 h. This work proposes a successful waste-to-fuel strategy that combines the valorization of orange peel waste and CO2 conversion for the synthesis of green methanol.