Mo-CeO2 Photocatalysts on MICROSCAFS®: Defect and Support Engineering for Enhanced CO2 Photoconversion

Highlights: Mo doping increases oxygen vacancies and improves CO2 surface activation. MICROSCAFS® support enhances charge separation and light harvesting. Mo-CeO2 shows the highest CO2 photoreduction efficiency among samples. Mo incorporation boosts Ce4+/Ce3+ redox cycling during photocatalysis. Structure–performance correlation reveals pathways for improved CO2 conversion. Keywords: CeO2, SiO2-TiO2 porous microspheres, CO2 photoreduction, photocatalysis