Carbon dioxide, global boiling, and climate carnage, from generation to assimilation, photocatalytic conversion to renewable fuels, and mechanism.

The increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has substantial impacts on the global temperature. For energy sustainability and minimization of the effects of global warming, an approach to understand CO2 capturing and a carbon neutral culture is extremely essential in the present circumstances. The CO2 emission from vehicles and industries can be minimized using energy cost-effective techniques and can be converted more selectively into reusable fuels via thermochemical, electrochemical, photochemical, photocatalytic, electrocatalytic, biological and inorganic carbonate-based approaches. In this review article, we have discussed the effects of increased global temperature on human beings, economy and climate change. Further, we have discussed the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 (PC-CO2) into gaseous and liquid fuels under solar light driven photocatalysis. The adsorption and activation of CO2, its conversion into various intermediates, their stability and selectivity of the final products have been elaborated comprehensively. The conversion mechanisms of CO2 into CO, CH4, alcohol, aldehyde and carboxylic acid have been discussed in detail. The role of defects and exposed facets of photocatalysts, effect of metal and non-metal dopants, and the additive role of co-catalyst on the mechanisms and selectivity of the conversion products have been discussed comprehensively. Finally, future perspective is discussed to highlight the research gap in the PC-CO2. We hope that this article will help to understand the mechanisms of PC-CO2 and will direct researchers to add their role in the reduction of CO2 to control global warming and make life easier on earth in the coming years.