Rutile Crystallites Isolated from Degussa (Evonik) P25 TiO2: Highly Efficient Photocatalyst for Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Nitroaromatics

Induced-aggregates in photocatalysis: An unexplored approach to reduce the noble metal co-catalyst content

Photocatalysis has emerged as a promising and environmentally sustainable solution to produce high-purity hydrogen through ethanol photoreforming. It is commonly accepted that adding co-catalysts, especially noble metals, significantly enhances the catalytic activity of semiconductors. However, the high cost of noble metals such as Pt may limit the real application of this emerging technology. Here we evaluate the possibility of reducing the noble metal loading by creating the appropriate interface between pre-formed semiconductor nanoparticles. Commercial titania (P25) was selected as the semiconductor due to its commercial availability, facilitating the straightforward validation and corroboration of our results. Pt was selected as co-catalyst because one of the most efficient photocatalysts for the ethanol photo-reforming is still based on the use of P25 in combination with Pt. We report that the creation of induced aggregates dramatically improves the total hydrogen produced when very low loadings (≤0.05 wt%) of Pt are used. We have developed a pioneering reactor designed for conducting photoluminescence studies under authentic operational conditions of nanoparticle suspensions in the liquid phase. This approach allows us to obtain the average photoluminescence emission from the P25 agglomerates what it would be impossible to obtain by using standard solid samples holders. Thanks to this equipment, we can conclude that this remarkable improvement of the activity is mainly due to creation of an interface that favors the charge transfer between the particles of the aggregates. According to this, the titania nanoparticles of the agglomerates act as an antenna to collect the photons of the sun-light and produce the photo-excited electrons that will be transferred to the platinum nanoparticles located in the same agglomeration. In contrast, raw P25 with low loadings of Pt would have a high number of titania nanoparticles without platinum, and therefore, inactive. This result would be especially relevant in the case of immobilized photocatalytic systems for real future photocatalytic reactors because the immobilization of the semiconductors would generate similar interactions to the one created by our method. Consequently, the initial semiconductor immobilization followed by the subsequent photo-deposition of the co-catalyst emerges as a promising approach for a substantial reduction of the co-catalyst content.

Photocatalytic Transformation of Organics to Valuable Chemicals - Quo Vadis?

Recent development in photocatalysis is increasingly focused on transforming organic compounds toward producing fine chemicals. Simple, non-selective oxidation reactions (degradation of pollutants) and very demanding solar-to-chemical energy conversion processes (production of solar fuels) face severe economic limitations influenced by still low efficiency and insufficient stability of the systems. Synthesis of fine chemicals, including reductive and oxidative selective transformations, as well as C-C and C-N coupling reactions, can utilise the power of photocatalysis. Herein, we present the recent progress in photocatalytic systems designed to synthesise fine chemicals. In particular, we discuss the factors influencing the efficiency and selectivity of the organic transformations, dividing them into intrinsic (related to individual properties of photocatalysts) and extrinsic (originating from the reaction environment). A rational design of the photocatalytic systems, based on a deep understanding of these factors, opens new perspectives for applied photocatalysis.

Visible-Light-Driven Selective Hydrogenation of Nitrostyrene over Layered Ternary Sulfide Nanostructures

Selective hydrogenation of nitrostyrenes is a great challenge due to the competitive activation of the nitro groups (─NO2 ) and carbon-carbon (C═C) double bonds. Photocatalysis has emerged as an alternative to thermocatalysis for the selective hydrogenation reaction, bypassing the precious metal costs and harsh conditions. Herein, two crystalline phases of layered ternary sulfide Cu2 WS4 , that is, body-centered tetragonal I-Cu2 WS4 nanosheets and primitive tetragonal P-Cu2 WS4 nanoflowers, are controlled synthesized by adjusting the capping agents. Remarkably, these nanostructures show visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance for selective hydrogenation of 3-nitrostyrene under mild conditions. In detail, the I-Cu2 WS4 nanosheets show excellent conversion of 3-nitrostyrene (99.9%) and high selectivity for 3-vinylaniline (98.7%) with the assistance of Na2 S as a hole scavenger. They also can achieve good hydrogenation selectivity to 3-ethylnitrobenzene (88.5%) with conversion as high as 96.3% by using N2 H4 as a proton source. Mechanism studies reveal that the photogenerated electrons and in situ generated protons from water participate in the former hydrogenation pathway, while the latter requires the photogenerated holes and in situ generated reactive oxygen species to activate the N2 H4 to form cis-N2 H2 for further reduction. The present work expands the rational synthesis of ternary sulfide nanostructures and their potential application for solar-energy-driven organic transformations.

Blue-LED activated photocatalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes with Cu2O/CuO heterojunctions

This study describes how the optimization of Cu2O/CuO heterostructures can enhance their (photo)catalytic performance. More specifically, the evaluation of catalysts with different Cu2O/CuO molar ratios was used to optimize their performance for the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol under both blue-LED light and dark conditions. For the first time, we analyzed the effect of blue LED irradiation on this reaction and found that when blue LEDs are used as the light source, a Cu2O/CuO ratio of 0.15 results in rate constants 7 to 3 times higher than those of catalysts with either lower (0.01) or higher (0.42) ratios. Furthermore, this photocatalyst shows good stability, >70% after 5 cycles, and excellent chemoselectivity in the selective reduction of the nitro group in the presence of other functionalities, i.e. -COOH, -CONH2 and -OH.

Composite CdS/TiO2 Powders for the Selective Reduction of 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde by Visible Light: Relation between Preparation, Morphology and Photocatalytic Activity

A series of composite CdS/TiO2 powders was obtained by nucleation of TiO2 on CdS nanoseeds. This combination presents the appropriate band edge position for photocatalytic redox reactions: visible light irradiation of CdS allows the injection of electrons into dark TiO2, increasing the lifetimes of separated charges. The electrons have been used for the quantitative photoreduction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde to 4-aminobenzaldehyde, whose formation was pointed out by 1H NMR and ESI-MS positive ion mode. Concomitant sacrificial oxidation of 2-propanol, which was also the proton source, occurred. The use of characterization techniques (XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption) evidenced the principal factors driving the photocatalytic reaction: the nanometric size of anatase crystalline domains, the presence of dispersed CdS to form an extended active junction CdS/anatase, and the presence of mesopores as nanoreactors. The result is an efficient photocatalytic system that uses visible light. In addition, the presence of TiO2 in combination with CdS improves the stability of the photoactive material, enabling its recyclability.

Engineering of platinum–oxygen vacancy interfacial sites in confined catalysts for enhanced hydrogenation selectivity

Confined TiO2/Pt-700-Ar with rich Pt–Ov interfacial sites exhibits superior p-ABC selectivity compared with confined TiO2/Pt and unconfined Pt/TiO2-700-Ar with poor Pt–Ov interfacial sites.

Turning Waste into Useful Products by Photocatalysis with Nanocrystalline TiO2 Thin Films: Reductive Cleavage of Azo Bond in the Presence of Aqueous Formate

UV-photoexcitation of TiO₂ in contact with aqueous solutions of azo dyes does not imply only its photocatalytic degradation, but the reaction fate of the dye depends on the experimental conditions. In fact, we demonstrate that the presence of sodium formate is the switch from a degradative pathway of the dye to its transformation into useful products. Laser flash photolysis experiments show that charge separation is extremely long lived in nanostructured TiO₂ thin films, making them suitable to drive both oxidation and reduction reactions. ESR spin trapping and photoluminescence experiments demonstrate that formate anions are very efficient in intercepting holes, thereby inhibiting OH radicals formation. Under these conditions, electrons promoted in the conduction band of TiO₂ and protons deriving from the oxidation of formate on photogenerated holes lead to the reductive cleavage of N=N bonds with formation and accumulation of reduced intermediates. Negative ion ESI–MS findings provide clear support to point out this new mechanism. This study provides a facile solution for realizing together wastewater purification and photocatalytic conversion of a waste (discharged dye) into useful products (such as sulfanilic acid used again for synthesis of new azo dyes). Moreover, the use of TiO₂ deposited on an FTO (Fluorine Tin Oxide) glass circumvents all the difficulties related to the use of slurries. The obtained photocatalyst is easy to handle and to recover and shows an excellent stability allowing complete recyclability.

Self-Protonated Ho-Doped Zn(O,S) as a Green Chemical-Conversion Catalyst to Hydrogenate Nitro to Amino Compounds

Zn(O,S) has been successfully doped with different amounts of Ho and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and transient photocurrent (TPC). The as-prepared Ho-doped Zn(O,S) catalysts with different Ho amounts are evaluated for hydrogen evolution reaction. The catalyst with the best performance in evolving hydrogen is further utilized to hydrogenate 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). It is found that doping with Ho obviously enhanced charge transfer and photoresponse properties of the catalyst. Therefore, the modified Zn(O,S) can optimally evolve hydrogen by 18 624 μmol/g, which is 20% higher than that of pristine Zn(O,S). Subsequently, the in situ generated hydrogen ions on catalyst surfaces also play an important role as a hydrogen source to hydrogenate 4-NP to 4-AP without any reducing agents such as NaBH₄, which is commonly used as a hydrogen source. As Ho is doped in the lattices of Zn(O,S), it acts not only to separate photocarriers and to enhance the charge transfer but also to shorten the diffusion time of nitrophenolate ions to catalyst surfaces for further photocatalytic hydrogenation reaction (PHR) process. A plausible PHR mechanism has been provided to elucidate the great performance of Ho-modified Zn(O,S) for photocatalytic hydrogenation.

First-principles study on the mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzene on the rutile TiO2(110) surface

Oxygen vacancies and excess electrons play vital roles in the photocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzene on the TiO₂ surface.

Differences in the selective reduction mechanism of 4-nitroacetophenone catalysed by rutile- and anatase-supported ruthenium catalysts

Ru nanoparticles supported on different crystalline TiO₂(anatase and rutile) phases result in different reaction pathways for 4-nitroacetophenone.

Kinetics and Optimization of the Photocatalytic Reduction of Nitrobenzene

The photocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline in alcoholic solutions appears as an interesting alternative to the classical hydration. However, little is known about the influence of reaction parameters on the kinetics of the reaction which were therefore studied herein. The effects of light intensity, catalyst concentration, initial concentration, and temperature were systematically investigated under more than 50 different conditions and accurately described with an appropriate kinetic model. The results show that the efficiency of the reaction is extremely high and apparent quantum yields of up to 142 % were observed under optimized conditions. Particularly interesting is the fact high efficiencies were also obtained at high reaction rates of up to 74.3 mM h-1. Overall these results demonstrate that heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions can be very efficient and productive at the same time and may therefore present a powerful tool in synthetic organic chemistry.

TiO₂ Photocatalysis for Transfer Hydrogenation

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation reactions, based on hydrogen sources other than gaseous H₂, are important processes that are preferential in both laboratories and factories. However, harsh conditions, such as high temperature, are usually required for most transition-metal catalytic and organocatalytic systems. Moreover, non-volatile hydrogen donors such as dihydropyridinedicarboxylate and formic acid are often required in these processes which increase the difficulty in separating products and lowered the whole atom economy. Recently, TiO₂ photocatalysis provides mild and facile access for transfer hydrogenation of C=C, C=O, N=O and C-X bonds by using volatile alcohols and amines as hydrogen sources. Upon light excitation, TiO₂ photo-induced holes have the ability to oxidatively take two hydrogen atoms off alcohols and amines under room temperature. Simultaneously, photo-induced conduction band electrons would combine with these two hydrogen atoms and smoothly hydrogenate multiple bonds and/or C-X bonds. It is heartening that practices and principles in the transfer hydrogenations of substrates containing C=C, C=O, N=O and C-X bond based on TiO₂ photocatalysis have overcome a lot of the traditional thermocatalysis' limitations and flaws which usually originate from high temperature operations. In this review, we will introduce the recent paragon examples of TiO₂ photocatalytic transfer hydrogenations used in (1) C=C and C≡C (2) C=O and C=N (3) N=O substrates and in-depth discuss basic principle, status, challenges and future directions of transfer hydrogenation mediated by TiO₂ photocatalysis.

In Situ Preparation of CoP@CdS and Its Catalytic Activity toward Controlling Nitro Reduction under Visible-Light Irradiation

CoP was synthesized in situ on the surface of CdS nanowires using a cobalt-ammine complex as a precursor. The generated CoP@CdS photocatalyst was well characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and diffuse reflectance spectra. A more efficient charge transfer was successfully achieved owing to the close contact between CoP and CdS. The hybrid photocatalyst showed excellent activity for the reduction of nitroarenes to the corresponding anilines or azobenzene compounds in water. In present work, hydrogen evolution and nitro reduction were concurrent and with the consumption of substrate, the rate of hydrogen evolution increased. The driving force for the reduction originated from the activated hydrogen species in the photocatalytic reaction rather than from dihydrogen. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared CoP@CdS in situ is comparable to that of the catalysts formed using a noble metal loaded onto CdS. Mechanistic investigation showed that the condensation route is the major pathway for nitro reduction in the present system, and azo compounds could be obtained with less irradiation time, while aniline will be obtained via long-time irradiation.

A fingerprint of metal-oxide powders: energy-resolved distribution of electron traps

Here we propose a method for the identification of metal-oxide powders with the energy-resolved distribution of electron traps and conduction-band bottom position reflecting a surface structure and a bulk structure, respectively, as a fingerprint, based on the degree of coincidence for a given pair of samples, measured using newly developed reversed double-beam photoacoustic spectroscopy.

Quantum tunneling injection of hot electrons in Au/TiO2 plasmonic photocatalysts

Visible light absorption of plasmonic Au nanoparticles supported on semiconductor TiO₂ leads to injection of their photoactivated "hot electrons (e_hot^-)" into the TiO₂ conduction band. This charge separation facilitates several oxidation and reduction reactions. These plasmonic systems, however, suffer from low quantum yields because the Schottky barrier created at the Au-TiO₂ interface suppresses e_hot^- injection. Here we report that Au nanoparticles supported on the anatase particles isolated from Degussa (Evonik) P25 TiO₂ promote e_hot^- injection with much higher efficiency than those supported on other commercially-available TiO₂ and catalyze aerobic oxidation with very high quantum yield (7.7% at 550 nm). Photoelectrochemical and spectroscopic analysis revealed that the number of Ti⁴⁺ atoms located at the Au-TiO₂ interface is the crucial factor. These Ti⁴⁺ atoms neutralize the negative charge of the Au particles and create a Schottky barrier with narrower depletion layer. This facilitates efficient e_hot^- injection by "quantum tunneling" through the Schottky barrier without overbarrier energy. The e_hot^- injection depends on several factors, and loading of 2 wt% Au particles with 3.5-4 nm diameters at around room temperature exhibits the highest activity of plasmonic photocatalysis.

Remarkable Charge Separation and Photocatalytic Efficiency Enhancement through Interconnection of TiO2 Nanoparticles by Hydrothermal Treatment

Although tremendous effort has been directed to synthesizing advanced TiO2 , it remains difficult to obtain TiO2 exhibiting a photocatalytic efficiency higher than that of P25, a benchmark photocatalyst. P25 is composed of anatase, rutile, and amorphous TiO2 particles, and photoexcited electron transfer and subsequent charge separation at the anatase-rutile particle interfaces explain its high photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, we report on a facile and rational hydrothermal treatment of P25 to selectively convert the amorphous component into crystalline TiO2 , which is deposited between the original anatase and rutile particles to increase the particle interfaces and thus enhance charge separation. This process produces a new TiO2 exhibiting a considerably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. This method of synthesizing this TiO2 , inspired by a recently burgeoning zeolite design, promises to make TiO2 applications more feasible and effective.

Study the toxicity to Microcystis aeruginosa induced by TiO₂ nanoparticles photocatalysis under UV light

In the present study, the biological effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on cyanobacteria cells was studied using Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) as a model. Nano-TiO2 as a photo-catalysts agent used for water treatment may pose a risk to ecosystems, especially for the water organisms such as cyanobacteria. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images provided that with the increasing of photocatalytic time, slime layer on the cell surface was damaged and sunk. Attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that the vibration peaks of C-C, C-H, C=O, P=O weakened within 12 h. According to the dynamic analysis of the infrared peaks, the damage on the cell groups under nano-TiO2 photocatalysis with different time periods was analyzed. The concentrations of K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+) released from the cells were measured, which indicated that nano-TiO2 photocatalysis have changed the cell membrane permeability and fluidity of M. aeruginosa.

One-pot synthesis of imines from nitroaromatics and alcohols by tandem photocatalytic and catalytic reactions on Degussa (Evonik) P25 titanium dioxide

Photoirradiation (λ > 300 nm) of Degussa (Evonik) P25 TiO2, a mixture of anatase and rutile particles, in alcohols containing nitroaromatics at room temperature produces the corresponding imines with very high yields (80-96%). Other commercially available anatase or rutile TiO2 particles, however, exhibit very low yields (<30%). The imine formation involves two step reactions on the TiO2 surface: (i) photocatalytic oxidation of alcohols (aldehyde formation) and reduction of nitrobenzene (aniline formation) and (ii) condensation of the formed aldehyde and aniline on the Lewis acid sites (imine formation). The respective anatase and rutile particles were isolated from P25 TiO2 by the H2O2/NH3 and HF treatments to clarify the activity of these two step reactions. Photocatalysis experiments revealed that the active sites for photocatalytic reactions on P25 TiO2 are the rutile particles, promoting efficient reduction of nitrobenzene on the surface defects. In contrast, catalysis experiments showed that the anatase particles isolated from P25 TiO2 exhibit very high activity for condensation of aldehyde and aniline, because the number of Lewis acid sites on the particles (73 μmol g(-1)) is much higher than that of other commercially available anatase or rutile particles (<15 μmol g(-1)). The P25 TiO2 particles therefore successfully promote tandem photocatalytic and catalytic reactions on the respective rutile and anatase particles, thus producing imines with very high yields.

Selective formation of benzo[c]cinnoline by photocatalytic reduction of 2,2′-dinitrobiphenyl using TiO2 and under UV light irradiation

Photocatalytic reduction of 2,2′-dinitrobiphenyl (25 μmol) using P25-TiO₂ under an argon atmosphere and 20 h UV light irradiation selectively produced 23.8 μmol of benzo[c]cinnoline (95%), and 2,2′-biphenyldiamine (5%).

Visible-light-responsive multielectron redox catalysis of lacunary polyoxometalates induced by substrate coordination to their lacuna

We describe herein the efficient visible-light-responsive polyoxometalate-based multielectron photoredox catalysis induced by in situ coordination of alcohols to the lacuna of TBA4 H4 [γ-SiW10 O36 ] (I, TBA=tetra-n-butylammonium). The coordination of alcohols to the lacuna of I generated a new highest occupied molecular orbital as the electron donor level and enabled the visible-light-responsive multielectron transfer from alcohols to I, which could be utilized for aerobic alcohol oxidation and one-pot synthesis of N-arylimines starting from nitroarenes and primary alcohols.

Visible-light-induced electron transport from small to large nanoparticles in bimodal gold nanoparticle-loaded titanium(IV) oxide

A key to realizing the sustainable society is to develop highly active photocatalysts for selective organic synthesis effectively using sunlight as the energy source. Recently, metal-oxide-supported gold nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a new type of visible-light photocatalysts driven by the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs. Here we show that visible-light irradiation (λ>430 nm) of TiO2 -supported Au NPs with a bimodal size distribution (BM-Au/TiO2 ) gives rise to the long-range (>40 nm) electron transport from about 14 small (ca. 2 nm) Au NPs to one large (ca. 9 nm) Au NP through the conduction band of TiO2 . As a result of the enhancement of charge separation, BM-Au/TiO2 exhibits a high level of visible-light activity for the one-step synthesis of azobenzenes from nitrobenzenes at 25 °C with a yield greater than 95 % and a selectivity greater than 99 %, whereas unimodal Au/TiO2 (UM-Au/TiO2 ) is photocatalytically inactive.