Photocatalytic material for splitting oxides of carbon

1. A method of carbon sequestration, the method comprising:

exposing an oxide of carbon to a carbon sequestration device and splitting the oxide of carbon to form carbon black and oxygen;

wherein:

the carbon sequestration device comprises a photocatalytic composite material; and the photocatalytic composite material generates a photoexcited electron; adsorbs or absorbs the oxide of carbon; and splits the oxide of carbon into the carbon black and oxygen with the photoexcited electron.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the oxide of carbon comprises exposing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon suboxide, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic composite material comprises:

a first component that generates the photoexcited electron and a hole and has a minimum bandgap to absorb visible light and a structure that substantially prevents the recombination of the photoexcited electron and the hole;

a second component that adsorbs or absorbs the oxide of carbon; and

a third component that splits the oxide of carbon into the carbon black and the oxygen with the photoexcited electron.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the photocatalytic composite material comprises a cluster or particle, the cluster or particle comprises the first component, the second component, and the third component;

and the first component comprises a photocatalyst.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the photocatalyst comprises a semiconductor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor comprises titanium oxynitrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the titanium oxynitrate is crystalline.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the minimum bandgap is at least about 3.4 eV.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first component comprises titanium oxy nitrate of formula TiOxNy, wherein x=4.1, 4.3, 4.5, or 4.7 and y=1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, or 1.39.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second component comprises CaCO 3 , MgCO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , or combinations of any two or more thereof.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second component comprises a Group I or II carbonate.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the third component comprises WC, TaO 2 , Pd, Pt, Ru, Sn, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the carbon black from a surface of the photocatalytic composite material.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon sequestration device further comprises a substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises a transparent or non-transparent non-conductive material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises quartz, plastic, glass, a wall, a roof, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the device further comprises a conductive layer between the substrate and the photocatalytic composite material.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a metal layer, an indium-tin-oxide layer, a zinc oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, or a combination of any two or more thereof.