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Schuurmans JHA, Masson TM, Zondag SDA, Buskens P, Noël T. Solar-Driven Continuous CO 2 Reduction to CO and CH 4 using Heterogeneous Photothermal Catalysts: Recent Progress and Remaining Challenges. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024; 17:e202301405. [PMID: 38033222 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The urgent need to reduce the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere and keep the effects of climate change manageable has brought the concept of carbon capture and utilization to the forefront of scientific research. Amongst the promising pathways for this conversion, sunlight-powered photothermal processes, synergistically using both thermal and non-thermal effects of light, have gained significant attention. Research in this field focuses both on the development of catalysts and continuous-flow photoreactors, which offer significant advantages over batch reactors, particularly for scale-up. Here, we focus on sunlight-driven photothermal conversion of CO2 to chemical feedstock CO and CH4 as synthetic fuel. This review provides an overview of the recent progress in the development of photothermal catalysts and continuous-flow photoreactors and outlines the remaining challenges in these areas. Furthermore, it provides insight in additional components required to complete photothermal reaction systems for continuous production (e. g., solar concentrators, sensors and artificial light sources). In addition, our review emphasizes the necessity of integrated collaboration between different research areas, like chemistry, material science, chemical engineering, and optics, to establish optimized systems and reach the full potential of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper H A Schuurmans
- Flow Chemistry Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom M Masson
- Flow Chemistry Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan D A Zondag
- Flow Chemistry Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Buskens
- The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), High Tech Campus 25, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Timothy Noël
- Flow Chemistry Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Volders J, Elen K, Raes A, Ninakanti R, Kelchtermans AS, Sastre F, Hardy A, Cool P, Verbruggen SW, Buskens P, Van Bael MK. Sunlight-Powered Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction Catalysed by Plasmonic Au/TiO 2 Nanocatalysts: Effects of Au Particle Size on the Activity and Selectivity. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:4153. [PMID: 36500776 PMCID: PMC9738324 DOI: 10.3390/nano12234153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study reports the low temperature and low pressure conversion (up to 160 °C, p = 3.5 bar) of CO2 and H2 to CO using plasmonic Au/TiO2 nanocatalysts and mildly concentrated artificial sunlight as the sole energy source (up to 13.9 kW·m-2 = 13.9 suns). To distinguish between photothermal and non-thermal contributors, we investigated the impact of the Au nanoparticle size and light intensity on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. A comparative study between P25 TiO2-supported Au nanocatalysts of a size of 6 nm and 16 nm displayed a 15 times higher activity for the smaller particles, which can only partially be attributed to the higher Au surface area. Other factors that may play a role are e.g., the electronic contact between Au and TiO2 and the ratio between plasmonic absorption and scattering. Both catalysts displayed ≥84% selectivity for CO (side product is CH4). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Au/TiO2 increases exponentially with increasing light intensity, which indicated the presence of a photothermal contributor. In dark, however, both Au/TiO2 catalysts solely produced CH4 at the same catalyst bed temperature (160 °C). We propose that the difference in selectivity is caused by the promotion of CO desorption through charge transfer of plasmon generated charges (as a non-thermal contributor).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Volders
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Imec Vzw, Imomec Associated Laboratory, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium
| | - Ken Elen
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Imec Vzw, Imomec Associated Laboratory, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium
| | - Arno Raes
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rajeshreddy Ninakanti
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - An-Sofie Kelchtermans
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Imec Vzw, Imomec Associated Laboratory, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium
| | - Francesc Sastre
- The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), High Tech Campus 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - An Hardy
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Imec Vzw, Imomec Associated Laboratory, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium
| | - Pegie Cool
- Laboratory of Adsorption and Catalysis, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sammy W. Verbruggen
- Sustainable Energy, Air & Water Technology (DuEL), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pascal Buskens
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), High Tech Campus 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marlies K. Van Bael
- Design and Synthesis of Inorganic Materials (DESINe), Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Imec Vzw, Imomec Associated Laboratory, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium
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Li Z, Xiao Y, Liu F, Yan X, You D, Li K, Zeng L, Zhu M, Xiao G, Albert J, Guo T. Operando optical fiber monitoring of nanoscale and fast temperature changes during photo-electrocatalytic reactions. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2022; 11:220. [PMID: 35831285 PMCID: PMC9279429 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-00914-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In situ and continuous monitoring of thermal effects is essential for understanding photo-induced catalytic processes at catalyst's surfaces. However, existing techniques are largely unable to capture the rapidly changing temperatures occurring in sub-μm layers at liquid-solid interfaces exposed to light. To address this, a sensing system based on a gold-coated conventional single-mode optical fiber with a tilted fiber Bragg grating inscribed in the fiber core is proposed and demonstrated. The spectral transmission from these devices is made up of a dense comb of narrowband resonances that can differentiate between localized temperatures rapid changes at the catalyst's surface and those of the environment. By using the gold coating of the fiber as an electrode in an electrochemical reactor and exposing it to light, thermal effects in photo-induced catalysis at the interface can be decoded with a temperature resolution of 0.1 °C and a temporal resolution of 0.1 sec, without perturbing the catalytic operation that is measured simultaneously. As a demonstration, stable and reproducible correlations between the light-to-heat conversion and catalytic activities over time were measured for two different catalysis processes (linear and nonlinear). These kinds of sensing applications are ideally suited to the fundamental qualities of optical fiber sensors, such as their compact size, flexible shape, and remote measurement capability, thereby opening the way for various thermal monitoring in hard-to-reach spaces and rapid catalytic reaction processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Yongguang Xiao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511443, China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Electronics, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Xiangyu Yan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511443, China
| | - Daotong You
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511443, China
| | - Kaiwei Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511443, China
| | - Lixi Zeng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China
| | - Mingshan Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China.
| | - Gaozhi Xiao
- Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Center, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Jacques Albert
- Department of Electronics, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Tuan Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511443, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
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Comparing the Performance of Supported Ru Nanocatalysts Prepared by Chemical Reduction of RuCl3 and Thermal Decomposition of Ru3(CO)12 in the Sunlight-Powered Sabatier Reaction. Catalysts 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12030284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The preparation of Ru nanoparticles supported on γ-Al2O3 followed by chemical reduction using RuCl3 as a precursor is demonstrated, and their properties are compared to Ru nanoparticles supported on γ-Al2O3 prepared by impregnation of γ-Al2O3 with Ru3(CO)12 and subsequent thermal decomposition. The Ru nanoparticles resulting from chemical reduction of RuCl3 are slightly larger (1.2 vs. 0.8 nm). In addition, Ru nanoparticles were deposited on Stöber SiO2 using both deposition techniques. These particles were larger than the ones deposited on γ-Al2O3 (2.5 and 3.4 nm for chemical reduction and thermal decomposition, respectively). Taking into account the size differences between the Ru nanoparticles, all catalysts display similar activity (0.14–0.63 mol·gRu−1·h−1) and selectivity (≥99%) in the sunlight-powered Sabatier reaction. Ergo, the use of toxic and volatile Ru3(CO)12 can be avoided, since catalysts prepared by chemical reduction of RuCl3 display similar catalytic performance.
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