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Yuan Z, Zhu X, Gao X, An C, Wang Z, Zuo C, Dionysiou DD, He H, Jiang Z. Enhancing photocatalytic CO 2 reduction with TiO 2-based materials: Strategies, mechanisms, challenges, and perspectives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 20:100368. [PMID: 38268554 PMCID: PMC10805649 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The concentration of atmospheric CO2 has exceeded 400 ppm, surpassing its natural variability and raising concerns about uncontrollable shifts in the carbon cycle, leading to significant climate and environmental impacts. A promising method to balance carbon levels and mitigate atmospheric CO2 rise is through photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), renowned for its affordability, stability, availability, and eco-friendliness, stands out as an exemplary catalyst in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Various strategies have been proposed to modify TiO2 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction and improve catalytic activity and product selectivity. However, few studies have systematically summarized these strategies and analyzed their advantages, disadvantages, and current progress. Here, we comprehensively review recent advancements in TiO2 engineering, focusing on crystal engineering, interface design, and reactive site construction to enhance photocatalytic efficiency and product selectivity. We discuss how modifications in TiO2's optical characteristics, carrier migration, and active site design have led to varied and selective CO2 reduction products. These enhancements are thoroughly analyzed through experimental data and theoretical calculations. Additionally, we identify current challenges and suggest future research directions, emphasizing the role of TiO2-based materials in understanding photocatalytic CO2 reduction mechanisms and in designing effective catalysts. This review is expected to contribute to the global pursuit of carbon neutrality by providing foundational insights into the mechanisms of photocatalytic CO2 reduction with TiO2-based materials and guiding the development of efficient photocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Yuan
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang, 261061, PR China
| | - Xianglin Zhu
- Institute for Energy Research, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Xianqiang Gao
- College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, PR China
| | - Changhua An
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Organic Solar Cells and Photochemical Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, PR China
| | - Zheng Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Cheng Zuo
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang, 261061, PR China
| | - Dionysios D. Dionysiou
- Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DChEE), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0012, USA
| | - Hong He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Zaiyong Jiang
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang, 261061, PR China
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
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Moharramzadeh Goliaei E. Photocatalytic Efficiency for CO 2 Reduction of Co and Cluster Co 2O 2 Supported on g-C 3N 4: A Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:7871-7882. [PMID: 38578103 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
It is well known from experimental results that a single atom of cobalt supported on g-C3N4 is an efficient photocatalyst for the reduction of CO2 to CO, with a better photocatalytic activity than g-C3N4. In this work, we investigate the performance as catalysts for the CO2 reduction of single atoms of cobalt and Co2O2 clusters supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). Employing density functional theory plus Hubbard (DFT + U) calculations, we investigate in detail the reduction mechanisms to CO and HCOOH for the first time. We find that deposition of cobalt on g-C3N4 decreases the work function of g-C3N4 to 6.6 eV and provides a better candidate for the reduction reaction. In addition, we find that the preferred product of CO2 reduction on Co@g-C3N4 is CO, with a rate-determining barrier of 0.97 eV, while on Co2O2@g-C3N4, CO2 reduces to formate with a rate-determining barrier of 0.44 eV. We determine the creation of CO2 from COOH to only take place on Co2O2@g-C3N4, with a (relatively high) barrier of 2.27 eV. In order to obtain more easily the transition state energies of the reactions mentioned above, we applied machine learning methods to search for high-importance descriptors for these quantities, in the case of single transition metal atoms supported on C3N4. Interestingly, our results show that our quantities of interest are closely related to the adsorption energies of products and normalized valence electrons of the products of the elementary reactions as well as those of the metal atoms. The former of these two sets of features can be straightforwardly obtained via DFT, while the latter energies are extensively tabulated. Our results offer guidance for the design of catalysts and photocatalysts for CO2 reduction on single-metal atoms supported on C3N4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Moharramzadeh Goliaei
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Galileo Galilei", Università degli Studi di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Povo, Italy
- The Abdus Salam ICTP, Strada Costiera 11, 34151 Trieste, Italy
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3
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Xue J, Fujitsuka M, Tachikawa T, Bao J, Majima T. Charge Trapping in Semiconductor Photocatalysts: A Time- and Space-Domain Perspective. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:8787-8799. [PMID: 38520348 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Harnessing solar energy to produce value-added fuels and chemicals through photocatalysis techniques holds promise for establishing a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy economy. The intricate dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers lies at the core of the photocatalysis. The balance between charge trapping and band-edge recombination has a crucial influence on the activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. Consequently, the regulation of traps in photocatalysts becomes the key to optimizing their activities. Nevertheless, our comprehension of charge trapping, compared to that of well-studied charge recombination, remains somewhat limited. This limitation stems from the inherently heterogeneous nature of traps at both temporal and spatial scales, which renders the characterization of charge trapping a formidable challenge. Fortunately, recent advancements in both time-resolved spectroscopy and space-resolved microscopy have paved the way for considerable progress in the investigation and manipulation of charge trapping. In this Perspective, we focus on charge trapping in photocatalysts with the aim of establishing a direct link to their photocatalytic activities. To achieve this, we begin by elucidating the principles of advanced time-resolved spectroscopic techniques such as femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy and space-resolved microscopic methods, such as single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and surface photovoltage microscopy. Additionally, we provide an overview of noteworthy research endeavors dedicated to probing charge trapping using time- and space-resolved techniques. Our attention is then directed toward recent achievements in the manipulation of charge trapping in photocatalysts through defect engineering. Finally, we summarize this Perspective and discuss the future challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Xue
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China
| | - Mamoru Fujitsuka
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Takashi Tachikawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Jun Bao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China
- iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Tetsuro Majima
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
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Suzuki TM, Nagatsuka K, Nonaka T, Yamaguchi Y, Sakamoto N, Uyama T, Sekizawa K, Kudo A, Morikawa T. Highly selective CO 2 electrolysis in aqueous media by a water-soluble cobalt dimethyl-bipyridine complex. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:12318-12321. [PMID: 37753608 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03940d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
A water-soluble Co complex with dimethyl-bipyridine ligands reduced CO2 to CO electrochemically with almost 100% selectivity at -0.80 V vs. NHE in an aqueous medium (pH 6.8) without an organic solvent. The reaction overpotential was 270 mV. A possible CO formation mechanism was discussed based on experiments and calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomiko M Suzuki
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Kengo Nagatsuka
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
| | - Takamasa Nonaka
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Yuichi Yamaguchi
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
- Carbon Value Research Center, Research Institute for Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Naonari Sakamoto
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Uyama
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Keita Sekizawa
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Kudo
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.
- Carbon Value Research Center, Research Institute for Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Takeshi Morikawa
- Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan.
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Liu C, Busse S, Liu J, Godin R. Aminosilanized Interface Promotes Electrochemically Stable Carbon Nitride Films with Fewer Trap States on FTO for (Photo)electrochemical Systems. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:46902-46915. [PMID: 37774114 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
We have demonstrated the direct growth of a CNx layer on a plasma-cleaned and aminosilanized F-doped SnO2 (FTO) electrode to study the CNx|FTO interface that is critical for (photo)electrocatalytic systems. The (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was chosen as a bifunctional organosilane, with the amino end incorporating into CNx and the silane end connecting to the hydroxylated FTO surface. Plasma cleaning and aminosilanization resulted in a highly hydrophilic surface, which leads to better contact of melted thiourea to the aminosilanized FTO (p-FTONH2) during CNx polymer condensation, thus generating a thinner and more compact CNx layer. The modification at the interface was shown to influence the CNx growth on length scales of tens of micrometers. We grew CNx thin films on p-FTONH2 (CNx/p-FTONH2) and nonaminosilanized p-FTO (CNx/p-FTO). CNx/p-FTONH2 had a smaller density of trap states and passed 2.4 times the charges before failure compared to CNx/p-FTO. Additionally, a 40% decrease in interfacial charge transfer resistance at the CNx|electrolyte interface was measured for CNx/p-FTONH2 compared to CNx/p-FTO under -0.5 V vs RHE in 0.1 M Na2SO4. Furthermore, with the CNx surface coated with a Pt cocatalyst, Pt/CNx/p-FTONH2 exhibited faster hydrogen evolution rates and larger current densities than Pt/CNx/p-FTO. The highest Faraday efficiency toward electrochemical hydrogen evolution (FEH2) in 0.1 M Na2SO4 (pH = 7) was 46.1%, 37.3%, 57.7%, and 70.5% for Pt/CNx/p-FTONH2, Pt/CNx/p-FTO, CNx/p-FTONH2, and CNx/p-FTO, respectively. The increase in hydrogen evolution rate did not follow the magnitude of the current density change, indicating electrochemical processes other than proton reduction. Overall, we have carefully investigated the CNx|FTO interface and suggested potential solutions to make CNx films better (photo)electrodes for (photo)electrochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Stephanie Busse
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
- Clean Energy Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
- Clean Energy Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
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Zhou Y, Remón J, Pang X, Jiang Z, Liu H, Ding W. Hydrothermal conversion of biomass to fuels, chemicals and materials: A review holistically connecting product properties and marketable applications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 886:163920. [PMID: 37156381 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Biomass is a renewable and carbon-neutral resource with good features for producing biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials. Among the different technologies developed to date to convert biomass into such commodities, hydrothermal conversion (HC) is a very appealing and sustainable option, affording marketable gaseous (primarily containing H2, CO, CH4, and CO2), liquid (biofuels, aqueous phase carbohydrates, and inorganics), and solid products (energy-dense biofuels (up to 30 MJ/kg) with excellent functionality and strength). Given these prospects, this publication first-time puts together essential information on the HC of lignocellulosic and algal biomasses covering all the steps involved. Particularly, this work reports and comments on the most important properties (e.g., physiochemical and fuel properties) of all these products from a holistic and practical perspective. It also gathers vital information addressing selecting and using different downstream/upgrading processes to convert HC reaction products into marketable biofuels (HHV up to 46 MJ/kg), biochemicals (yield >90 %), and biomaterials (great functionality and surface area up to 3600 m2/g). As a result of this practical vision, this work not only comments on and summarizes the most important properties of these products but also analyzes and discusses present and future applications, establishing an invaluable link between product properties and market needs to push HC technologies transition from the laboratory to the industry. Such a practical and pioneering approach paves the way for the future development, commercialization and industrialization of HC technologies to develop holistic and zero-waste biorefinery processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdong Zhou
- College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, PR China; China Leather and Footwear Research Institute Co. Ltd., Beijing 100015, PR China
| | - Javier Remón
- Thermochemical Processes Group, Aragón Institute for Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, C/Mariano Esquillor s/n, 50.018, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Xiaoyan Pang
- China Leather and Footwear Research Institute Co. Ltd., Beijing 100015, PR China
| | - Zhicheng Jiang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Haiteng Liu
- China Leather and Footwear Research Institute Co. Ltd., Beijing 100015, PR China
| | - Wei Ding
- China Leather and Footwear Research Institute Co. Ltd., Beijing 100015, PR China.
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7
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Jiao H, Wang C, Xiong L, Tang J. Insights on Carbon Neutrality by Photocatalytic Conversion of Small Molecules into Value-Added Chemicals or Fuels. ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH 2022; 3:1206-1219. [PMID: 36583010 PMCID: PMC9791684 DOI: 10.1021/accountsmr.2c00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic conversion of small molecules (including H2O, CO2, N2, CH4, and benzene) into value-added chemicals or fuels (e.g., H2, NH3, C2 +, etc.) is a promising strategy to cope with both the worldwide increasing energy demand and greenhouse gas emission in both energy sectors and chemical industry, thus paving an effective way to carbon neutrality. On the other hand, compared with conventionally thermo- or electrocatalytic processes, photoactivation can convert these very stable small molecules by the unexhausted solar energy, so leading to store solar energy in chemical bonds. Thus, it can effectively reduce the reliance on the nonrenewable fossil fuels and avoid the substantial emission of hazardous gases such as CO2, NO x , and so on while producing valued-added chemicals. For example, semiconductors can absorb solar light to split H2O into H2 and O2 or convert CO2 to alcohols, which can then be used as zero or neutral carbon energy sources. Although many efforts have already been made on photocatalytic small molecule activation, the light-energy conversion efficiency is still rather moderate and the yield of aimed value-added chemicals cannot meet the requirement of large-scale application. The core for these artificial photocatalytic processes is to discover a novel photocatalyst with high efficiency, low cost, and excellent durability. Over the past two decades, the Tang group has discovered a few benchmark photocatalysts (such as dual-metal-loaded metal oxides, atomic photocatalysts, carbon-doped TiO2, and polymer heterojunctions, etc.) and investigated them for photocatalytic conversion of the above-mentioned five robust molecules into value-added chemicals or liquid fuels. Besides, advanced photocatalytic reaction systems including batch and continuous flow membrane reactors have been studied. More importantly, the underlying reaction mechanism of these processes has been thoroughly analyzed using the state-of-the-art static and time-resolved spectroscopies. In this Account, we present the group's recent research progress in search of efficient photocatalysts for these small molecules' photoactivation. First, the strategies used in the group with respect to three key factors in photocatalysis, including light harvesting, charge separation, and reactant adsorption/product desorption, are comprehensively analyzed with the aim to provide a clear strategy for efficient photocatalyst design toward small and robust molecule photoactivation under ambient conditions. The application of in situ and operando techniques on charge carrier dynamics and reaction pathway analysis used in the group are next discussed. Finally, we point out the key challenges and future research directions toward each specific small molecule's photoactivation process.
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8
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Khan J, Sun Y, Han L. A Comprehensive Review on Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Carbon Dioxide Photoreduction. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2201013. [PMID: 36336653 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202201013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by natural photosynthesis, harnessing the wide range of natural solar energy and utilizing appropriate semiconductor-based catalysts to convert carbon dioxide into beneficial energy species, for example, CO, CH4 , HCOOH, and CH3 COH have been shown to be a sustainable and more environmentally friendly approach. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) has been regarded as a highly effective photocatalyst for the CO2 reduction reaction, owing to its cost-effectiveness, high thermal and chemical stability, visible light absorption capability, and low toxicity. However, weaker electrical conductivity, fast recombination rate, smaller visible light absorption window, and reduced surface area make this catalytic material unsuitable for commercial photocatalytic applications. Therefore, certain procedures, including elemental doping, structural modulation, functional group adjustment of g-C3 N4 , the addition of metal complex motif, and others, may be used to improve its photocatalytic activity towards effective CO2 reduction. This review has investigated the scientific community's perspectives on synthetic pathways and material optimization approaches used to increase the selectivity and efficiency of the g-C3 N4 -based hybrid structures, as well as their benefits and drawbacks on photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Finally, the review concludes a comparative discussion and presents a promising picture of the future scope of the improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javid Khan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan Joint International Laboratory of Adv. Mater. and Technology for Clean Energy, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Yanyan Sun
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, China
| | - Lei Han
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan Joint International Laboratory of Adv. Mater. and Technology for Clean Energy, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
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Pankratz J, Mitchell E, Godin R. Soluble carbon nitride nanosheets as an alternate precursor for hard-templated morphological control. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:13580-13592. [PMID: 36107015 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04129d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nitride (CNx) is an organic semiconductor with promising applications in solar energy conversion via photocatalytic water splitting. Current efforts are being devoted to improve the photocatalytic activity of CNx as it is limited by charge recombination which may be exacerbated by its low surface area. Hard-templated synthesis of CNx by filling mesoporous silica with small molecule precursors is one of the conventional approaches to improving the efficiency of CNx. However the relationship between activity and surface area has yet to be fully established. Herein we develop a new approach using soluble acidified CNx nanosheets as the precursor in an effort to decrease the potential for unintended chemical modifications and better understand the complex relationship between morphology and activity. Deprotonation of acidified CNx occurs at moderate temperatures to restore the π-π interactions. We prepared three modified morphologies with this synthetic route and completed a thorough study of the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties. Supported by charge carrier dynamics studies, we found that the silica-templated CNx with modified morphologies suffered from higher trap state densities and resulted in lower photocatalytic activity compared to CNx prepared without a template. Characterization techniques showed that the chemical structure of the templated CNx obtained is not sensitive to changes in the silica template shape. Our observations highlight the complex relationship between structure, photophysics, and activity, and demonstrate that hard templating can modify more than the intended surface area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Pankratz
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada.
| | - Emma Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada.
| | - Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada.
- Clean Energy Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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10
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Ma J, Miao TJ, Tang J. Charge carrier dynamics and reaction intermediates in heterogeneous photocatalysis by time-resolved spectroscopies. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:5777-5794. [PMID: 35770623 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01164b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sunlight as the most abundant renewable energy holds the promise to make our society sustainable. However, due to its low power density and intermittence, efficient conversion and storage of solar energy as a clean fuel are crucial. Apart from solar fuel synthesis, sunlight can also be used to drive other reactions including organic conversion and air/water purification. Given such potential of photocatalysis, the past few decades have seen a surge in the discovery of photocatalysts. However, the current photocatalytic efficiency is still very moderate. To address this challenge, it is important to understand fundamental factors that dominate the efficiency of a photocatalytic process to enable the rational design and development of photocatalytic systems. Many recent studies highlighted transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) and time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy as powerful approaches to characterise charge carrier dynamics and reaction pathways to elucidate the reasons behind low photocatalytic efficiencies, and to rationalise photocatalytic activities exhibited by closely related materials. Accordingly, as a fast-moving area, the past decade has witnessed an explosion in reports on charge carrier dynamics and reaction mechanisms on a wide range of photocatalytic materials. This critical review will discuss the application of TAS and TRIR in a wide range of heterogeneous photocatalytic systems, demonstrating the variety of ways in which these techniques can be used to understand the correlation between materials design, charge carrier behaviour, and photocatalytic activity. Finally, it provides a comprehensive outlook for potential developments in the area of time-resolved spectroscopies with an aim to provide design strategies for photocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Ma
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, and the Energy and Catalysis Hub, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Tina Jingyan Miao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London (UCL), WC1E 7JE, London, UK.,Department of Chemistry, University College London (UCL), WC1H 0AJ, London, UK.
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London (UCL), WC1E 7JE, London, UK
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Thangamuthu M, Ruan Q, Ohemeng PO, Luo B, Jing D, Godin R, Tang J. Polymer Photoelectrodes for Solar Fuel Production: Progress and Challenges. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11778-11829. [PMID: 35699661 PMCID: PMC9284560 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Converting solar energy to fuels has attracted substantial interest over the past decades because it has the potential to sustainably meet the increasing global energy demand. However, achieving this potential requires significant technological advances. Polymer photoelectrodes are composed of earth-abundant elements, e.g. carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, which promise to be more economically sustainable than their inorganic counterparts. Furthermore, the electronic structure of polymer photoelectrodes can be more easily tuned to fit the solar spectrum than inorganic counterparts, promising a feasible practical application. As a fast-moving area, in particular, over the past ten years, we have witnessed an explosion of reports on polymer materials, including photoelectrodes, cocatalysts, device architectures, and fundamental understanding experimentally and theoretically, all of which have been detailed in this review. Furthermore, the prospects of this field are discussed to highlight the future development of polymer photoelectrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madasamy Thangamuthu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Qiushi Ruan
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast
University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Peter Osei Ohemeng
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of British
Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Bing Luo
- School
of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- International
Research Center for Renewable Energy & State Key Laboratory of
Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an
Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Dengwei Jing
- International
Research Center for Renewable Energy & State Key Laboratory of
Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an
Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Robert Godin
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of British
Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
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12
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Sohail M, Anwar U, Taha T, I. A. Qazi H, Al-Sehemi AG, Ullah S, Gharni H, Ahmed I, Amin MA, Palamanit A, Iqbal W, Alharthi S, Nawawi W, Ajmal Z, Ali H, Hayat A. Nanostructured Materials Based on g-C3N4 for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Potentials Application: A Review. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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13
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Wang Y, Chen E, Tang J. Insight on Reaction Pathways of Photocatalytic CO 2 Conversion. ACS Catal 2022; 12:7300-7316. [PMID: 35747201 PMCID: PMC9207809 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
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Photocatalytic CO2 conversion to value-added chemicals
is a promising solution to mitigate the current energy and environmental
issues but is a challenging process. The main obstacles include the
inertness of CO2 molecule, the sluggish multi-electron
process, the unfavorable thermodynamics, and the selectivity control
to preferable products. Furthermore, the lack of fundamental understanding
of the reaction pathways accounts for the very moderate performance
in the field. Therefore, in this Perspective, we attempt to discuss
the possible reaction mechanisms toward all C1 and C2 value-added products, taking into account the experimental
evidence and theoretical calculation on the surface adsorption, proton
and electron transfer, and products desorption. Finally, the remaining
challenges in the field, including mechanistic understanding, reactor
design, economic consideration, and potential solutions, are critically
discussed by us.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiou Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K
- Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Königinstr. 10, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Enqi Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K
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14
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Pios S, Domcke W. Ab Initio Electronic Structure Study of the Photoinduced Reduction of Carbon Dioxide with the Heptazinyl Radical. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:2778-2787. [PMID: 35476421 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels with electrons taken from water with solar photons is one of the grand goals of renewable energy research. Polymeric carbon nitrides recently emerged as metal-free materials with promising functionalities for hydrogen evolution from water as well as the activation of carbon dioxide. Molecular heptazine (Hz), the building block of polymeric carbon nitrides, is one the strongest known organic photo-oxidants and has been shown to be able to photo-oxidize water with near-visible light, resulting in reduced (hydrogenated) heptazine (HzH) and OH radicals. In the present work, we explored with ab initio computational methods whether the HzH chromophore is able to reduce carbon dioxide to the hydroxy-formyl (HOCO) radical in hydrogen-bonded HzH-CO2 complexes by the absorption of a photon. In remarkable contrast to the high barrier for carbon dioxide activation in the electronic ground state, the excited-state proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction is nearly barrierless, but requires the diabatic passage of three conical intersections. The possibility of barrierless carbon dioxide activation by excited-state PCET has so far not been taken into consideration in the interpretation of photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction on carbon nitride materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pios
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, D-85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Domcke
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, D-85747 Garching, Germany
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15
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Álvarez-Prada I, Nguyen AD, Romero N, Hou H, Benazzi E, Escriche L, Acharjya A, Thomas A, Schwarze M, Schomäcker R, Sala X, Natali M, García-Antón J, Tasbihi M. Insights into the light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride decorated with Pt or Ru nanoparticles. Dalton Trans 2021; 51:731-740. [PMID: 34918734 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt03006j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Ru or Pt nanoparticles have been prepared following the organometallic approach and deposited onto the surface of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-CN). Three different Ru-based samples have also been compared to investigate the effect of 4-phenylpyridine as a stabilizing agent. The photocatalytic performance towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been tested showing that all hybrid systems clearly outperform the photocatalytic activity of bare mpg-CN. In particular, Pt-decorated mpg-CN yields the largest H2 production upon visible-light irradiation (870 μmol h-1 g-1, TOF = 14.1 h-1, TON = 339 after 24 h) when compared with the Ru-based samples (137-155 μmol h-1 g-1, TOFs between 2.3-2.7 h-1, TONs between 54-57 after 24 h). Long-term photochemical tests (up to 65 h irradiation) show also an improved stability of the Pt-based samples over the Ru counterpart. Photophysical experiments aimed at rationalizing the photocatalytic performance of the different hybrid systems elucidate that the enhanced activity of the Pt-decorated mpg-CN over the Ru-based analogues arises from improved electron transfer kinetics from mpg-CN to the metal nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Álvarez-Prada
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anh Dung Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nuria Romero
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Heting Hou
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Elisabetta Benazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie (DOCPAS), Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Via L. Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Lluís Escriche
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Amitava Acharjya
- Department of Chemistry: Functional Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arne Thomas
- Department of Chemistry: Functional Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schwarze
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Reinhard Schomäcker
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Xavier Sala
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mirco Natali
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie (DOCPAS), Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Via L. Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Jordi García-Antón
- Departament de Química, Unitat de Química Inorgànica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Minoo Tasbihi
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Bhatt H, Goswami T, Yadav DK, Ghorai N, Shukla A, Kaur G, Kaur A, Ghosh HN. Ultrafast Hot Electron Transfer and Trap-State Mediated Charge Carrier Separation toward Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity in g-C 3N 4/ZnIn 2S 4 Heterostructure. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:11865-11872. [PMID: 34874742 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive understanding of charge carrier dynamics in the heterostructure based photocatalytic materials will strengthen their candidature as future solar energy harvesting resources. Here, in this work, the g-C3N4(CN)/ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) heterostructure was successfully synthesized and a direct spectroscopic correlation was established between excited-state charge carrier dynamics and enhanced photocatalytic activity using ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. TA analysis demonstrated the dominance of hot electron transfer over the band edge one. The photogenerated hot electrons migrated from the high-energy excitonic states of CN toward ZIS in the subpicosecond time scale. Broad-band (UV to NIR) ultrafast transient pump-probe spectroscopy revealed the collective effect of hot electron transfer as well as trap-state mediated electron delocalization in the enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution. This work reveals the role of photogenerated carriers in the photocatalytic performance of the CN/ZIS heterostructure and would create a new avenue toward the advancement of CN based heterostructure in photocatalytic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Bhatt
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Tanmay Goswami
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Dharmendra Kumar Yadav
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Nandan Ghorai
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Ayushi Shukla
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Gurpreet Kaur
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Arshdeep Kaur
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Hirendra N Ghosh
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Punjab 140306, India
- Radiation and Photochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
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17
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Chien LC, Chiang CW, Lao CC, Lin YI, Lin HW, Keng PY. Boron Carbon Oxynitride as a Novel Metal-Free Photocatalyst. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 16:176. [PMID: 34894310 PMCID: PMC8665969 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-021-03629-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Boron-based nanomaterials are emerging as non-toxic, earth-abundant (photo)electrocatalyst materials in solar energy conversion for the production of solar hydrogen fuel and environmental remediation. Boron carbon oxynitride (BCNO) is a quaternary semiconductor with electronic, optical, and physicochemical properties that can be tuned by varying the composition of boron, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen. However, the relationship between BCNO's structure and -photocatalytic activity relationship has yet to be explored. We performed an in-depth spectroscopic analysis to elucidate the effect of using two different nitrogen precursors and the effect of annealing temperatures in the preparation of BCNO. BCNO nanodisks (D = 6.7 ± 1.1 nm) with turbostratic boron nitride diffraction patterns were prepared using guanidine hydrochloride as the nitrogen source precursor upon thermal annealing at 800°C. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface elemental analysis of the BCNO nanodisks revealed the B, C, N, and O compositions to be 40.6%, 7.95%, 37.7%, and 13.8%, respectively. According to the solid-state 11B NMR analyses, the guanidine hydrochloride-derived BCNO nanodisks showed the formation of various tricoordinate BNx(OH)3-x species, which also served as one of the photocatalytic active sites. The XRD and in-depth spectroscopic analyses corroborated the preparation of BCNO-doped hexagonal boron nitride nanodisks. In contrast, the BCNO annealed at 600 °C using melamine as the nitrogen precursor consisted of layered nanosheets composed of B, C, N, and O atoms covalently bonded in a honeycomb lattice as evidence by the XRD, XPS, and solid-state NMR analysis (11B and 13C) analyses. The XPS surface elemental composition of the melamine-derived BCNO layered structures consisted of a high carbon composition (75.1%) with a relatively low boron (5.24%) and nitrogen (7.27%) composition, which indicated the formation of BCNO-doped graphene oxides layered sheet structures. This series of melamine-derived BCNO-doped graphene oxide layered structures were found to exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity, exceeding the photocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon nitride. In this layered structure, the formation of the tetracoordinate BNx(OH)3-x(CO) species and the rich graphitic domains were proposed to play an important role in the photocatalytic activity of the BCNO-doped graphene oxides layered structures. The optical band gap energies were measured to be 5.7 eV and 4.2 eV for BCNO-doped hexagonal boron nitride nanodisks and BCNO-doped graphene oxides layered structures, respectively. Finally, BCNO exhibited an ultralong photoluminescence with an average decay lifetime of 1.58, 2.10, 5.18, and 8.14 µs for BGH01, BGH03, BMH01, BMH03, respectively. This study provides a novel metal-free photocatalytic system and provides the first structural analysis regarding the origin of BCNO-based photocatalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Cheng Chien
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
| | - Chen Wei Chiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
| | - Chou Chio Lao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
| | - Yung-I Lin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
| | - Hao-Wu Lin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
| | - Pei Yuin Keng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013 Taiwan
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18
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Mitchell E, Law A, Godin R. Interfacial charge transfer in carbon nitride heterojunctions monitored by optical methods. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C: PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2021.100453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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19
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Godin R, Durrant JR. Dynamics of photoconversion processes: the energetic cost of lifetime gain in photosynthetic and photovoltaic systems. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:13372-13409. [PMID: 34786578 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00577d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The continued development of solar energy conversion technologies relies on an improved understanding of their limitations. In this review, we focus on a comparison of the charge carrier dynamics underlying the function of photovoltaic devices with those of both natural and artificial photosynthetic systems. The solar energy conversion efficiency is determined by the product of the rate of generation of high energy species (charges for solar cells, chemical fuels for photosynthesis) and the energy contained in these species. It is known that the underlying kinetics of the photophysical and charge transfer processes affect the production yield of high energy species. Comparatively little attention has been paid to how these kinetics are linked to the energy contained in the high energy species or the energy lost in driving the forward reactions. Here we review the operational parameters of both photovoltaic and photosynthetic systems to highlight the energy cost of extending the lifetime of charge carriers to levels that enable function. We show a strong correlation between the energy lost within the device and the necessary lifetime gain, even when considering natural photosynthesis alongside artificial systems. From consideration of experimental data across all these systems, the emprical energetic cost of each 10-fold increase in lifetime is 87 meV. This energetic cost of lifetime gain is approx. 50% greater than the 59 meV predicted from a simple kinetic model. Broadly speaking, photovoltaic devices show smaller energy losses compared to photosynthetic devices due to the smaller lifetime gains needed. This is because of faster charge extraction processes in photovoltaic devices compared to the complex multi-electron, multi-proton redox reactions that produce fuels in photosynthetic devices. The result is that in photosynthetic systems, larger energetic costs are paid to overcome unfavorable kinetic competition between the excited state lifetime and the rate of interfacial reactions. We apply this framework to leading examples of photovoltaic and photosynthetic devices to identify kinetic sources of energy loss and identify possible strategies to reduce this energy loss. The kinetic and energetic analyses undertaken are applicable to both photovoltaic and photosynthetic systems allowing for a holistic comparison of both types of solar energy conversion approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada. .,Clean Energy Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James R Durrant
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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20
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Wang Y, Godin R, Durrant JR, Tang J. Efficient Hole Trapping in Carbon Dot/Oxygen-Modified Carbon Nitride Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Enhanced Methanol Production from CO 2 under Neutral Conditions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:20811-20816. [PMID: 34288316 PMCID: PMC8519127 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Artificial photosynthesis of alcohols from CO2 is still unsatisfactory owing to the rapid charge relaxation compared to the sluggish photoreactions and the oxidation of alcohol products. Here, we demonstrate that CO2 is reduced to methanol with 100 % selectivity using water as the only electron donor on a carbon nitride-like polymer (FAT) decorated with carbon dots. The quantum efficiency of 5.9 % (λ=420 nm) is 300 % higher than the previously reported carbon nitride junction. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we observed that holes in FAT could be extracted by the carbon dots with nearly 75 % efficiency before they become unreactive by trapping. Extraction of holes resulted in a greater density of photoelectrons, indicative of reduced recombination of shorter-lived reactive electrons. This work offers a strategy to promote photocatalysis by increasing the amount of reactive photogenerated charges via structure engineering and extraction before energy losses by deep trapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiou Wang
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUCLTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- Chair for Photonics and Optoelectronics, Nano-Institute MunichLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenKöniginstr. 1080539MunichGermany
| | - Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Plastic ElectronicsImperial College LondonExhibition RoadLondonSW7 2AZUK
- Department of ChemistryThe University of British ColumbiaKelownaBCV1V 1V7Canada
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Plastic ElectronicsImperial College LondonExhibition RoadLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUCLTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
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21
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Wang Y, Godin R, Durrant JR, Tang J. Efficient Hole Trapping in Carbon Dot/Oxygen‐Modified Carbon Nitride Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Enhanced Methanol Production from CO
2
under Neutral Conditions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiou Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering UCL Torrington Place London WC1E 7JE UK
- Chair for Photonics and Optoelectronics, Nano-Institute Munich Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Königinstr. 10 80539 Munich Germany
| | - Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London Exhibition Road London SW7 2AZ UK
- Department of Chemistry The University of British Columbia Kelowna BC V1V 1V7 Canada
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Plastic Electronics Imperial College London Exhibition Road London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering UCL Torrington Place London WC1E 7JE UK
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22
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Mitchell E, Law A, Godin R. Experimental determination of charge carrier dynamics in carbon nitride heterojunctions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:1550-1567. [PMID: 33491708 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc06841a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Carbon nitride (CNx) is an emerging photocatalyst with the potential to efficiently produce solar fuels. CNx heterojunctions often show significant photocatalytic activity improvements. We review the charge carrier dynamics in a range of CNx heterojunctions including carbon-based material, black phosphorus, Ru complexes, molybdenum sulphide and metal phosphides. Time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) were the most common techniques employed for experimental charge carrier dynamics measurements. The low photoluminescence quantum yield of CNx appeared to limit the depth of conclusions from TRPL, with both lengthening and shortening of the TRPL lifetimes observed and attributed to enhanced charge separation. Overall, the charge carrier dynamics studies often showed a relative lifetime change of ∼2-fold and an activity improvement of >10-fold. We highlight the need for the use of a wider range of techniques to monitor the charge carrier dynamics for conclusive determination of photophysics-activity relationships and elucidation of improvement mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
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23
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Jing L, Zhu R, Ng YH, Hu Z, Teoh WY, Phillips DL, Yu JC. Visible-light photocatalysis and charge carrier dynamics of elemental crystalline red phosphorus. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:024707. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0013142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jing
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
- College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ruixue Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yun Hau Ng
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Zhuofeng Hu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wey Yang Teoh
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David Lee Phillips
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jimmy C. Yu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
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24
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Ma X, Hu C, Bian Z. Hybrid photocatalytic systems comprising a manganese complex anchored on g-C3N4 for efficient visible-light photoreduction of CO2. INORG CHEM COMMUN 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2020.107951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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25
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Miao TJ, Tang J. Characterization of charge carrier behavior in photocatalysis using transient absorption spectroscopy. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:194201. [PMID: 33687236 DOI: 10.1063/5.0008537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Photocatalysis is a promising sustainable method to generate solar fuels for the future, as well as having other applications such as water/air purification. However, the performance of photocatalysts is often limited by poor charge carrier dynamics. To improve charge carrier dynamics, it is necessary to characterize and understand charge carrier behavior in photocatalytic systems. This critical review will present Transient Absorption Spectroscopy (TAS) as a useful technique for understanding the behavior of photoexcited charges in semiconductor photocatalysts. The role of TAS amongst other techniques for characterizing charge carrier behavior will be outlined. Basic principles behind TAS will be introduced, and interpretation of TAS spectra and kinetics will be discussed in the context of exemplar literature. It will be demonstrated that TAS is a powerful technique to obtain fundamental understanding of the behavior of photoexcited charges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Jingyan Miao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London (UCL), WC1E 7JE London, United Kingdom
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London (UCL), WC1E 7JE London, United Kingdom
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26
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Talapaneni SN, Singh G, Kim IY, AlBahily K, Al-Muhtaseb AH, Karakoti AS, Tavakkoli E, Vinu A. Nanostructured Carbon Nitrides for CO 2 Capture and Conversion. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1904635. [PMID: 31608512 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nitride (CN), a 2D material composed of only carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), which are linked by strong covalent bonds, has been used as a metal-devoid and visible-light-active photocatalyst owing to its magnificent optoelectronic and physicochemical properties including suitable bandgap, adjustable energy-band positions, tailor-made surface functionalities, low cost, metal-free nature, and high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stabilities. CN-based materials possess a lot of advantages over conventional metal-based inorganic photocatalysts including ease of synthesis and processing, versatile functionalization or doping, flexibility for surface engineering, low cost, sustainability, and recyclability without any leaching of toxic metals from photocorrosion. Carbon nitrides and their hybrid materials have emerged as attractive candidates for CO2 capture and its reduction into clean and green low-carbon fuels and valuable chemical feedstock by using sustainable and intermittent renewable energy sources of sunlight and electricity through the heterogeneous photo(electro)catalysis. Here, the latest research results in this field are summarized, including implementation of novel functionalized nanostructured CNs and their hybrid heterostructures in meeting the stringent requirements to raise the efficiency of the CO2 reduction process by using state-of-the-art photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, and feedstock reactions. The research in this field is primarily focused on advancement in the synthesis of nanostructured and functionalized CN-based hybrid heterostructured materials. More importantly, the recent past has seen a surge in studies focusing significantly on exploring the mechanism of their application perspectives, which include the behavior of the materials for the absorption of light, charge separation, and pathways for the transport of CO2 during the reduction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddulu Naidu Talapaneni
- Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Gurwinder Singh
- Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - In Young Kim
- Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Khalid AlBahily
- SABIC Corporate Research and Development Center at KAUST, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ala'a H Al-Muhtaseb
- Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, Al-Khod, Muscat, 123, Oman
| | - Ajay S Karakoti
- Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Ehsan Tavakkoli
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2650, Australia
| | - Ajayan Vinu
- Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
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27
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Luo M, Yang Q, Yang W, Wang J, He F, Liu K, Cao H, Yan H. Defects Engineering Leads to Enhanced Photocatalytic H 2 Evolution on Graphitic Carbon Nitride-Covalent Organic Framework Nanosheet Composite. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2001100. [PMID: 32323466 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202001100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (CNS) represents an attractive candidate for solar fuel production. However, the abundant defects in CNS lead to serious charge recombination and limit the photocatalytic performance. Herein, the synthesis of a CNS-covalent organic framework (CNS-COF) nanosheet composite is presented for the first time. CNS with significantly reduced defects is first obtained by rationally tuning the thermal exfoliation conditions of bulk carbon nitride. Subsequent modification of the CNS with trace COF nanosheet through chemical imine bonding can not only passivate the surface termination of carbon nitride in the boundary region, but also establish strong electronic coupling between these two components. As a consequence, enhanced charge separation and photocatalytic activity are realized on the resulting CNS-COF nanosheet composite. Under optimum conditions, hydrogen is evolved at a rate of 46.4 mmol g-1 h-1 . This corresponds to an apparent quantum efficiency of 31.8% at 425 nm, which is among the best values ever reported for carbon nitride-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maolan Luo
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China
| | - Qing Yang
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China
| | - Wenbin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621010, China
| | - Junhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Fangfang He
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621010, China
| | - Kewei Liu
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China
| | - Hongmei Cao
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China
| | - Hongjian Yan
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China
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28
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Solar-driven CO2 conversion over Co2+ doped 0D/2D TiO2/g-C3N4 heterostructure: Insights into the role of Co2+ and cocatalyst. J CO2 UTIL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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29
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Ma B, Chen G, Fave C, Chen L, Kuriki R, Maeda K, Ishitani O, Lau TC, Bonin J, Robert M. Efficient Visible-Light-Driven CO 2 Reduction by a Cobalt Molecular Catalyst Covalently Linked to Mesoporous Carbon Nitride. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:6188-6195. [PMID: 32148034 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Achieving visible-light-driven carbon dioxide reduction with high selectivity control and durability while using only earth abundant elements requires new strategies. Hybrid catalytic material was prepared upon covalent grafting a Co-quaterpyridine molecular complex to semiconductive mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4) through an amide linkage. The molecular material was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, including XPS, IR, and impedance spectroscopy. It proved to be a selective catalyst for CO production in acetonitrile using a solar simulator with a high 98% selectivity, while being remarkably robust since no degradation was observed after 4 days of irradiation (ca. 500 catalytic cycles). This unique combination of a selective molecular catalyst with a simple and robust semiconductive material opens new pathways for CO2 catalytic light-driven reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Ma
- Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, CNRS, Université de Paris, 15 Rue Jean-Antoine de Baïf, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Gui Chen
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Claire Fave
- Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, CNRS, Université de Paris, 15 Rue Jean-Antoine de Baïf, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Lingjing Chen
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ryo Kuriki
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-1 Okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Maeda
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-1 Okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Osamu Ishitani
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-1 Okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Tai-Chu Lau
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Julien Bonin
- Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, CNRS, Université de Paris, 15 Rue Jean-Antoine de Baïf, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Marc Robert
- Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, CNRS, Université de Paris, 15 Rue Jean-Antoine de Baïf, F-75013 Paris, France
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30
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Huang P, Pantovich SA, Okolie NO, Deskins NA, Li G. Hybrid Carbon Dioxide Reduction Photocatalysts Consisting of Macrocyclic Cobalt(III) Complexes Deposited on Semiconductor Surfaces. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201900282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Huang
- Department of Chemistry University of New Hampshire 23 Academic Way Durham NH 03824 USA
| | | | - Norbert O. Okolie
- Materials Science Program University of New Hampshire 23 Academic Way Durham NH 03824 USA
| | - N. Aaron Deskins
- Department of Chemical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute 100 Institute Road Worcester MA 01609 USA
| | - Gonghu Li
- Department of Chemistry University of New Hampshire 23 Academic Way Durham NH 03824 USA
- Materials Science Program University of New Hampshire 23 Academic Way Durham NH 03824 USA
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31
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Ruan Q, Miao T, Wang H, Tang J. Insight on Shallow Trap States-Introduced Photocathodic Performance in n-Type Polymer Photocatalysts. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:2795-2802. [PMID: 31940191 PMCID: PMC7145347 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b10476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a robust
organic semiconductor photocatalyst with proven H2 evolution
ability. However, its application in a photoelectrochemical system
as a photocathode for H2 production is extremely challenging
with the majority of reports representing it as a photoanode. Despite
research into constructing g-C3N4 photocathodes
in recent years, factors affecting an n-type semiconductor’s
properties as a photocathode are still not well-understood. The current
work demonstrates an effective strategy to transform an n-type g-C3N4 photoanode material into an efficient photocathode
through introducing electron trap states associated with both N-defects
and C–OH terminal groups. As compared to the g-C3N4 photoelectrode, this strategy develops 2 orders of
magnitude higher conductivity and 3 orders of magnitude longer-lived
shallow-trapped charges. Furthermore, the average OCVD lifetime observed
for def-g-C3N4 is 5 times longer than that observed
for g-C3N4. Thus, clear photocathode behavior
has been observed with negative photocurrent densities of around −10
μA/cm2 at 0 V vs RHE. Open circuit photovoltage decay
(OCVD), Mott–Schottky (MS) plot, and transient absorption spectroscopy
(TAS) provide consistent evidence that long-lived shallow-trapped
electrons that exist at about the microsecond time scale after photoexcitation
are key to the photocathode behavior observed for defect-rich g-C3N4, thus further demonstrating g-C3N4 can be both a photoanode and a photocathode candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiushi Ruan
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London (UCL) , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
| | - Tina Miao
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London (UCL) , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry , University College London (UCL) , London WC1H 0AJ , United Kingdom
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London (UCL) , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London (UCL) , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
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32
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Yadav RM, Kumar R, Aliyan A, Dobal PS, Biradar S, Vajtai R, Singh DP, Martí AA, Ajayan PM. Facile synthesis of highly fluorescent free-standing films comprising graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanolayers. NEW J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/c9nj05108b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The free-standing g-C3N4 films were fabricated by thermal condensation of C2H4N4 at 600 °C in a low pressure of Ar atmosphere. The as-synthesized g-C3N4 films exhibited stable and strong photoluminescence emission centered around 455–460 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Manohar Yadav
- Department of Physics
- VSSD College Kanpur
- India
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering
- Rice University
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering
- Toyohashi University of Technology
- Toyohashi
- Japan
| | - Amir Aliyan
- Pasargad Institute for Advanced Innovative Solutions (PIAIS)
- 1991633361
- Iran
| | | | | | - Robert Vajtai
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering
- Rice University
- Houston
- USA
- Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre
| | | | - Angel A. Martí
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering
- Rice University
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Chemistry
| | - Pulickel M. Ajayan
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering
- Rice University
- Houston
- USA
- Department of Chemistry
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33
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Li Y, Kong T, Shen S. Artificial Photosynthesis with Polymeric Carbon Nitride: When Meeting Metal Nanoparticles, Single Atoms, and Molecular Complexes. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1900772. [PMID: 30977981 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201900772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Artificial photosynthesis for solar water splitting and CO2 reduction to produce hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels has been considered as one of the most promising ways to solve increasingly serious energy and environmental problems. As a well-documented metal-free semiconductor, polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) has been widely used and intensively investigated for photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction, owing to its physicochemical stability, visible-light response, and facile synthesis. However, PCN as a photocatalyst still suffers from the fast recombination of electron-hole pairs and poor water redox reaction kinetics, greatly restricting its activity for artificial photosynthesis. Among the various modification approaches developed so far, decorating PCN with metals in different existences of nanoparticles, single atoms and molecular complexes, has been evidently very effective to overcome these limitations to improve photocatalytic performances. In this Review article, a systematic introduction to the state-of-the-art metal/PCN photocatalyst systems is given, with metals in versatility of nanoparticles, single atoms, and molecular complexes. Then, the recent processes of the metal/PCN photocatalyst systems in the applications of artificial photosynthesis, e.g., water splitting and CO2 reduction, are reviewed. Finally, the remaining challenges and opportunities for the development of high efficiency metal/PCN photocatalyst systems are presented and prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrui Li
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Tingting Kong
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Shaohua Shen
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
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34
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Li X, Wang S, Meng Y, Wang X, Zhang Y, Hun X. Photoelectrochemical determination of ractopamine based on inner filter effect between gold nanoparticles and graphitic carbon nitride-copper(II) polyphthalocyanine coupled with 3D DNA stabilizer. Mikrochim Acta 2019; 186:552. [PMID: 31325046 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-019-3687-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Copper(II) polyphthalocyanine (CuPPc) was combined with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to form a heterojunction with enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) signal. A sensitive PEC method was developed for determination of ractopamine based on a PEC inner filter effect between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the g-C3N4/CuPPc. A gold electrode was modified with g-C3N4/CuPPc and the DNA was linked to the AuNPs. Initially, the PEC signal is weak due to the inner filter effect between the AuNPs and g-C3N4/CuPPc. In the presence of ractopamine, it interacts with the aptamer and the complementary chain (C chain) is released. This triggers the entropy-driven cyclic amplification and results in the release of the substrate B chain (SB chain) from three-dimensional DNA stabilizer. The probe is released from the electrode due to the interaction of probe DNA and the SB chain. As a result, the PEC signal increases linearly in the 0.1 pmol·L-1 to 1000 pmol·L-1 ractopamine concentration range. The detection limit is 0.03 pM, and the relative standard deviation is 3.4% (at a 10 pmol·L-1 level; for n = 11). The method has been successfully applied to the determination of ractopamine in pork samples. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of detection method based on PEC inner filter effect between AuNPs and the g-C3N4/CuPPc being fabricated for ractopamine. 3D DNA was used as stabilizer to decrease the PEC blank signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Li
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi Datong University, Shanxi, 037009, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE; Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis; Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science in Universities of Shandong; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering; College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Yuchan Meng
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE; Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis; Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science in Universities of Shandong; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering; College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Ocean university of China; State key laboratory of marine coatings, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE; Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis; Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science in Universities of Shandong; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering; College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Xu Hun
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE; Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis; Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science in Universities of Shandong; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering; College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
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35
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Yang W, Godin R, Kasap H, Moss B, Dong Y, Hillman SAJ, Steier L, Reisner E, Durrant JR. Electron Accumulation Induces Efficiency Bottleneck for Hydrogen Production in Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:11219-11229. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b04556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Godin
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Hatice Kasap
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Moss
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yifan Dong
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sam A. J. Hillman
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ludmilla Steier
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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36
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Muraoka K, Vequizo JJM, Kuriki R, Yamakata A, Uchiyama T, Lu D, Uchimoto Y, Ishitani O, Maeda K. Oxygen‐Doped Ta
3
N
5
Nanoparticles for Enhanced Z‐Scheme Carbon Dioxide Reduction with a Binuclear Ruthenium(II) Complex under Visible Light. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201900120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kanemichi Muraoka
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8550 Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Kojimachi Business Centre Building, 5–3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102-0083 Japan
| | - Junie Jhon M. Vequizo
- Graduate School of Engineering Toyota Technological Institute 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku Nagoya 468-8511 Japan
| | - Ryo Kuriki
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8550 Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Kojimachi Business Centre Building, 5–3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102-0083 Japan
| | - Akira Yamakata
- Graduate School of Engineering Toyota Technological Institute 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku Nagoya 468-8511 Japan
| | - Tomoki Uchiyama
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies Kyoto University Nihonmatsu-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606-8317 Japan
| | - Daling Lu
- Suzukakedai Materials Analysis Division, Technical Department Tokyo Institute of Technology 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku Yokohama 226-8503 Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Uchimoto
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies Kyoto University Nihonmatsu-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606-8317 Japan
| | - Osamu Ishitani
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8550 Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Maeda
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8550 Japan
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37
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Maeda K. Metal-Complex/Semiconductor Hybrid Photocatalysts and Photoelectrodes for CO 2 Reduction Driven by Visible Light. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1808205. [PMID: 31066136 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201808205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
CO2 reduction to carbon feedstocks using heterogeneous photocatalysts is an attractive means of addressing both climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels. Of particular importance is the development of a photosystem capable of functioning in response to visible light, which accounts for the majority of the solar spectrum, representing a kind of artificial photosynthesis. Hybrid systems comprising a metal complex and a semiconductor are promising because of the excellent electrochemical (and/or photocatalytic) activity of metal complexes during CO2 reduction and the ability of semiconductors to efficiently oxidize water to molecular O2 . Here, the development of hybrid photocatalysts and photoelectrodes for CO2 reduction in combination with water oxidation is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Maeda
- School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
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38
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Wang W, Zhao X, Cao Y, Yan Z, Zhu R, Tao Y, Chen X, Zhang D, Li G, Phillips DL. Copper Phosphide-Enhanced Lower Charge Trapping Occurrence in Graphitic-C 3N 4 for Efficient Noble-Metal-Free Photocatalytic H 2 Evolution. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:16527-16537. [PMID: 30990659 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b01421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) fundamental photophysical processes exhibit a high frequency of charge trapping due to physicochemical defects. In this study, a copper phosphide (Cu3P) and g-C3N4 hybrid was synthesized via a facile phosphorization method. Cu3P, as an electron acceptor, efficiently captures the photogenerated electrons and drastically improved the charge separation rate to cause a significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance. Moreover, the robust and intimate chemical interactions between Cu3P and g-C3N4 offers a rectified charge-transfer channel that can lead to a higher H2 evolution rate (HRE, 277.2 μmol h-1 g-1) for this hybrid that is up to 370 times greater than that achieved from using bare g-C3N4 (HRE, 0.75 μmol h-1 g-1) with a quantum efficiency of 3.74% under visible light irradiation (λ = 420 nm). To better determine the photophysical characteristics of the Cu3P-induced charge antitrapping behavior, ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy measurements were used to investigate the charge carriers' dynamics from femtosecond to nanosecond time domains. The experimental results clearly revealed that Cu3P can effectively enhance charge transfer and suppress photoelectron-hole recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Wang
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong , China
| | - Xiaolong Zhao
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - Yingnan Cao
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - Zhiping Yan
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong , China
| | - Ruixue Zhu
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong , China
- School of Physical Science and Technology , Shanghai Tech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Ying Tao
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - Xiaolang Chen
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - Dieqing Zhang
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - Guisheng Li
- The Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China
| | - David Lee Phillips
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong , China
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39
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Muraoka K, Uchiyama T, Lu D, Uchimoto Y, Ishitani O, Maeda K. A Visible-Light-Driven Z-Scheme CO2 Reduction System Using Ta3N5 and a Ru(II) Binuclear Complex. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2019. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20180239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kanemichi Muraoka
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Tomoki Uchiyama
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Daling Lu
- Suzukakedai Materials Analysis Division, Technical Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Uchimoto
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Osamu Ishitani
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Maeda
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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40
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Li M, Zhang S, Liu X, Han J, Zhu X, Ge Q, Wang H. Polydopamine and Barbituric Acid Co‐Modified Carbon Nitride Nanospheres for Highly Active and Selective Photocatalytic CO
2
Reduction. Eur J Inorg Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201801249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Li
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
| | - Shengbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
| | - Xiao Liu
- College of Chemistry Central China Normal University 430079 Wuhan China
| | - Jinyu Han
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
| | - Xinli Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
| | - Qingfeng Ge
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Southern Illinois University 62901 Carbondale IL USA
| | - Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Tianjin University 300072 Tianjin China
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41
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Huang P, Huang J, Pantovich SA, Carl AD, Fenton TG, Caputo CA, Grimm RL, Frenkel AI, Li G. Selective CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by Single Cobalt Sites on Carbon Nitride under Visible-Light Irradiation. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:16042-16047. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b10380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03857, United States
| | - Jiahao Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Sebastian A. Pantovich
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03857, United States
| | - Alexander D. Carl
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Thomas G. Fenton
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03857, United States
| | - Christine A. Caputo
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03857, United States
| | - Ronald L. Grimm
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Anatoly I. Frenkel
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
- Division of Chemistry, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Gonghu Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03857, United States
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42
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Maeda K, An D, Kuriki R, Lu D, Ishitani O. Graphitic carbon nitride prepared from urea as a photocatalyst for visible-light carbon dioxide reduction with the aid of a mononuclear ruthenium(II) complex. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:1806-1812. [PMID: 30112084 PMCID: PMC6071697 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was synthesized by heating urea at different temperatures (773-923 K) in air, and was examined as a photocatalyst for CO2 reduction. With increasing synthesis temperature, the conversion of urea into g-C3N4 was facilitated, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The as-synthesized g-C3N4 samples, further modified with Ag nanoparticles, were capable of reducing CO2 into formate under visible light (λ > 400 nm) in the presence of triethanolamine as an electron donor, with the aid of a molecular Ru(II) cocatalyst (RuP). The CO2 reduction activity was improved by increasing the synthesis temperature of g-C3N4, with the maximum activity obtained at 873-923 K. This trend was also consistent with that observed in photocatalytic H2 evolution using Pt-loaded g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activities of RuP/g-C3N4 for CO2 reduction and H2 evolution were thus shown to be strongly associated with the generation of the crystallized g-C3N4 phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Maeda
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Daehyeon An
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Ryo Kuriki
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Daling Lu
- Suzukakedai Materials Analysis Division, Technical Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
| | - Osamu Ishitani
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-NE-2 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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43
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Hennessey S, Farràs P. Production of solar chemicals: gaining selectivity with hybrid molecule/semiconductor assemblies. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:6662-6680. [PMID: 29808196 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02487a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Research on the production of solar fuels and chemicals has rocketed over the past decade, with a wide variety of systems proposed to harvest solar energy and drive chemical reactions. In this Feature Article we have focused on hybrid molecule/semiconductor assemblies in both powder and supported materials, summarising recent systems and highlighting the enormous possibilities offered by such assemblies to carry out highly demanding chemical reactions with industrial impact. Of relevance is the higher selectivity obtained in visible light-driven organic transformations when using molecular catalysts compared to photocatalytic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seán Hennessey
- School of Chemistry, Energy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway), University Road, H91 CF50 Galway, Ireland.
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44
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Zhang L, Xie C, Jiu H, Meng Y, Zhang Q, Gao Y. Synthesized Hollow TiO2@g-C3N4 Composites for Carbon dioxide Reduction Under Visible Light. Catal Letters 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10562-018-2450-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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45
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Kuehnel MF, Sahm CD, Neri G, Lee JR, Orchard KL, Cowan AJ, Reisner E. ZnSe quantum dots modified with a Ni(cyclam) catalyst for efficient visible-light driven CO 2 reduction in water. Chem Sci 2018; 9:2501-2509. [PMID: 29732127 PMCID: PMC5911736 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc04429a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A precious metal and Cd-free photocatalyst system for efficient CO2 reduction in water is reported. The hybrid assembly consists of ligand-free ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) as a visible-light photosensitiser combined with a phosphonic acid-functionalised Ni(cyclam) catalyst, NiCycP. This precious metal-free photocatalyst system shows a high activity for aqueous CO2 reduction to CO (Ni-based TONCO > 120), whereas an anchor-free catalyst, Ni(cyclam)Cl2, produced three times less CO. Additional ZnSe surface modification with 2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol (MEDA) partially suppresses H2 generation and enhances the CO production allowing for a Ni-based TONCO of > 280 and more than 33% selectivity for CO2 reduction over H2 evolution, after 20 h visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm, AM 1.5G, 1 sun). The external quantum efficiency of 3.4 ± 0.3% at 400 nm is comparable to state-of-the-art precious metal photocatalysts. Transient absorption spectroscopy showed that band-gap excitation of ZnSe QDs is followed by rapid hole scavenging and very fast electron trapping in ZnSe. The trapped electrons transfer to NiCycP on the ps timescale, explaining the high performance for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. With this work we introduce ZnSe QDs as an inexpensive and efficient visible light-absorber for solar fuel generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz F Kuehnel
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK . ; http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Constantin D Sahm
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK . ; http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Gaia Neri
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy , Department of Chemistry , The University of Liverpool , Crown Street , Liverpool L69 7ZD , UK .
| | - Jonathan R Lee
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy , Department of Chemistry , The University of Liverpool , Crown Street , Liverpool L69 7ZD , UK .
| | - Katherine L Orchard
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK . ; http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Alexander J Cowan
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy , Department of Chemistry , The University of Liverpool , Crown Street , Liverpool L69 7ZD , UK .
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK . ; http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
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46
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Elgrishi N, Chambers MB, Wang X, Fontecave M. Molecular polypyridine-based metal complexes as catalysts for the reduction of CO 2. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 46:761-796. [PMID: 28084485 DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00391a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Polypyridyl transition metal complexes represent one of the more thoroughly studied classes of molecular catalysts towards CO2 reduction to date. Initial reports in the 1980s began with an emphasis on 2nd and 3rd row late transition metals, but more recently the focus has shifted towards earlier metals and base metals. Polypyridyl platforms have proven quite versatile and amenable to studying various parameters that govern product distribution for CO2 reduction. However, open questions remain regarding the key mechanistic steps that govern product selectivity and efficiency. Polypyridyl complexes have also been immobilized through a variety of methods to afford active catalytic materials for CO2 reductions. While still an emerging field, materials incorporating molecular catalysts represent a promising strategy for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical devices capable of CO2 reduction. In general, this class of compounds remains the most promising for the continued development of molecular systems for CO2 reduction and an inspiration for the design of related non-polypyridyl catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Elgrishi
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 8229, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Matthew B Chambers
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 8229, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Xia Wang
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 8229, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Marc Fontecave
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 8229, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
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49
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Elbanna O, Fujitsuka M, Majima T. g-C 3N 4/TiO 2 Mesocrystals Composite for H 2 Evolution under Visible-Light Irradiation and Its Charge Carrier Dynamics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:34844-34854. [PMID: 28914526 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b08548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The photocatalytic performance of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been limited to low efficiency due to fast charge recombination. Here, we constructed g-C3N4 nanosheets/TiO2 mesocrystals metal-free composite (g-C3N4 NS/TMC) to promote the efficiency of charge separation. The photocatalytic H2 evolution experiments indicate that coupling g-C3N4 NS with TMC increases photogenerated charge carriers in g-C3N4 NS/TMC composite due to efficient charge separation. g-C3N4 NS (31 wt %)/TMC shows the highest photocatalytic activity and the corresponding H2 evolution rate is 3.6 μ mol h-1. This value is 20 times larger than that of g-C3N4 NS without any noble metal cocatalyst under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 NS/TMC (3.6 μmol h-1) is 7 times higher than that of g-C3N4 NS/P25 (0.5 μ mol h-1), confirming the importance of strong interface interaction between two-dimensional g-C3N4 NS and plate-shape TMC. Femtosecond time-resolved diffuse reflectance (fs-TDR) was employed to study the fundamental photophysical processes of bulk g-C3N4, g-C3N4 NS, and g-C3N4/TMC composite which are essential to explain the photocatalytic activity. Using fs-TDR, we demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity depends on the increased driving force for photoinduced electron transfer and a higher percentage of photogenerated charges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossama Elbanna
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University , Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Mamoru Fujitsuka
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University , Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Majima
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University , Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
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A high sensitive visible light-driven photoelectrochemical aptasensor for shrimp allergen tropomyosin detection using graphitic carbon nitride-TiO 2 nanocomposite. Biosens Bioelectron 2017; 98:113-118. [PMID: 28667837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2017.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Herein, for the first time a visible-light-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor for shrimp tropomyosin determination was fabricated by using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photoactive nanomaterials, ascorbic acid (AA) as electron donor and ruthenium (III) hexaammine (Ru(NH3)63+) as signal enhancer. The surface of an ITO electrode was first modified with g-C3N4, TiO2, and polyethyleneimine (PEI) and then the amine terminal aptamerTROP probe was attached to PEI by the use of glutaraldehyde (GA) as cross-linker. After that, Ru(NH3)63+ was adsorbed on aptamer to enhance the photocurrent signal. The principle of proposed PEC aptasensor is based on the formation of a selective complex between tropomyosin and immobilized aptamerTROP probe on the surface of ITO/g-C3N4-TiO2/PEI/aptamerTROP-Ru(NH3)6+3. After the incubation of tropomyosin with TROP aptamer probe, the photocurrent signal decreased due to releasing adsorbed Ru(NH3)63+ on aptamer and preventing AA from scavenging photogenerated holes to the photoactive modified electrode. Under the optimized conditions, the fabricated PEC aptasensor was used for the determination of shrimp tropomyosin in the concentration range of 1-400ngmL-1 with a limit of detection of 0.23ngmL-1. The proposed PEC aptasensor exhibited high selectivity, sensitivity, and good stability.
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