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Jimenéz-Calvo P, Naciri Y, Sobolewska A, Isaacs M, Zhang Y, Leforestier A, Degrouard J, Rouzière S, Goldmann C, Vantelon D, Hettler S, Zaluzec NJ, Arenal R, Launois P, Ghazzal MN, Paineau E. Ti-Modified Imogolite Nanotubes as Promising Photocatalyst 1D Nanostructures for H 2 Production. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301369. [PMID: 38085685 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
Imogolite nanotubes (INTs) are predicted as a unique 1D material with spatial separation of conduction and valence band edges but their large band gaps have inhibited their use as photocatalysts. The first step toward using these NTs in photocatalysis and exploiting the polarization-promoted charge separation across their walls is to reduce their band gap. Here, the modification of double-walled aluminogermanate INTs by incorporation of titanium into the NT walls is explored. The precursor ratio x = [Ti]/([Ge]+[Ti]) is modulated between 0 and 1. Structural and optical properties are determined at different scales and the photocatalytic performance is evaluated for H2 production. Although the incorporation of Ti atoms into the structure remains limited, the optimal condition is found around x = 0.4 for which the resulting NTs reveal a remarkable hydrogen production of ≈1500 µmol g-1 after 5 h for a noble metal-free photocatalyst, a 65-fold increase relative to a commercial TiO2-P25. This is correlated to a lowering of the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers for the most active structures. These results confirm the theoretical predictions regarding the potential of modified INTs as photoactive nanoreactors and pave the way for investigating and exploiting their polarization properties for energy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jimenéz-Calvo
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Yassine Naciri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Anna Sobolewska
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Mark Isaacs
- HarwellXPS, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, 0X11 0QX, UK
| | - Amélie Leforestier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Jéril Degrouard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Stéphan Rouzière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Claire Goldmann
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Delphine Vantelon
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, 91192, France
| | - Simon Hettler
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
| | - Nestor J Zaluzec
- Argonne National Laboratory / Photon Science Directorate, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Raul Arenal
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
- Araid Foundation, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Mohamed Nawfal Ghazzal
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
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Naciri Y, Ghazzal MN, Paineau E. Nanosized tubular clay minerals as inorganic nanoreactors for energy and environmental applications: A review to fill current knowledge gaps. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 326:103139. [PMID: 38552380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Modern society pays further and further attention to environmental protection and the promotion of sustainable energy solutions. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is widely recognized as one of the most economically viable and ecologically sound technologies to combat environmental pollution and the global energy crisis. One challenge is finding a suitable photocatalytic material for an efficient process. Inorganic nanotubes have garnered attention as potential candidates due to their optoelectronic properties, which differ from their bulk equivalents. Among them, clay nanotubes (halloysite, imogolite, and chrysotile) are attracting renewed interest for photocatalysis applications thanks to their low production costs, their unique physical and chemical properties, and the possibility to functionalize or dope their structure to enhance charge-carriers separation into their structure. In this review, we provide new insights into the potential of these inorganic nanotubes in photocatalysis. We first discuss the structural and morphological features of clay nanotubes. Applications of photocatalysts based on clay nanotubes across a range of photocatalytic reactions, including the decomposition of organic pollutants, elimination of NOx, production of hydrogen, and disinfection of bacteria, are discussed. Finally, we highlight the obstacles and outline potential avenues for advancing the current photocatalytic system based on clay nanotubes. Our aim is that this review can offer researchers new opportunities to advance further research in the field of clay nanotubes-based photocatalysis with other vital applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassine Naciri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UMR8000, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Mohamed Nawfal Ghazzal
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UMR8000, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay 91405, France.
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France.
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Puel E, Coumes CCD, Poulesquen A, Testard F, Thill A. Pickering emulsions stabilized by inside/out Janus nanotubes: Oil triggers an evolving solid interfacial layer. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 647:478-487. [PMID: 37271092 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.04.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS In the field of Pickering emulsion, original inside/ouside Janus clays nanoparticles are investigated for their emulsification properties. Imogolite is a tubular nanomineral of the clay family having both inner and outer hydrophilic surfaces. A Janus version of this nanomineral with an inner surface fully covered by methyl groups can be obtained directly by synthesis (Imo-CH3, hybrid imogolite). The hydrophilic/hydrophobic duality of the Janus Imo-CH3 allows the nanotubes to be dispersed in an aqueous suspension and enables emulsification of non-polar compounds due to the hydrophobic inner cavity of the nanotube. EXPERIMENTS Through the combination of Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), interfacial observations and rheology, the stabilization mechanism of imo-CH3 in oil-water emulsions has been investigated. FINDINGS Here, we show that interfacial stabilization of an oil-in-water emulsion is rapidly obtained at a critical Imo-CH3 concentration as low as 0.6 wt%. Below this concentration threshold, no arrested coalescence is observed, and excess oil is expelled from the emulsion through a cascading coalescence mechanism. The stability of the emulsion above the concentration threshold is reinforced by an evolving interfacial solid layer resulting from the aggregation of Imo-CH3 nanotubes that is triggered by the penetration of confined oil front into the continuous phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Puel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, CNRS, NIMBE, UMR 3685, LIONS, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Céline Cau Dit Coumes
- CEA, DES, ISEC, DE2D, Université Montpellier, Marcoule, 30207 Bagnols-Sur-Cèze Cedex, France
| | - Arnaud Poulesquen
- CEA, DES, ISEC, DE2D, Université Montpellier, Marcoule, 30207 Bagnols-Sur-Cèze Cedex, France
| | - Fabienne Testard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, CNRS, NIMBE, UMR 3685, LIONS, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Antoine Thill
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, CNRS, NIMBE, UMR 3685, LIONS, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
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Patra S, Testard F, Gobeaux F, Sicard L, Shaming D, Caër SL, Thill A. UV-Visible photo-reactivity of permanently polarized inorganic nanotubes coupled to gold nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:4101-4113. [PMID: 36744934 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05796d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid aluminosilicate nanotubes (Imo-CH3) have the ability to trap small organic molecules inside their hydrophobic internal cavity while being dispersed in water owing to their hydrophilic external surface. They also display a curvature-induced polarization of their wall, which favors reduction outside the nanotubes and oxidation inside. Here, we coupled bare plasmonic gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with Imo-CH3 and analyzed for the first time the redox reactivity of these hybrid nano-reactors upon UV illumination. We show that the coupling between GNPs and Imo-CH3 significantly enhances the nanotube photocatalytic activity, with a large part of water reduction occurring directly on the gold surface. The coupling mechanism strongly influences the initial H2 production rate, which can go from ×10 to more than ×90 as compared to bare Imo-CH3 depending on the synthesis route of the GNPs. The present results show that this hybrid photocatalytic nano-reactor benefits from a synergy of polarization and confinement effects that facilitate efficient H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabyasachi Patra
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, NIMBE, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
- Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai - 400085, India
| | - Fabienne Testard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, NIMBE, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Frédéric Gobeaux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, NIMBE, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Lorette Sicard
- Université de Paris, ITODYS, CNRS, UMR 7086, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Shaming
- Université de Paris, ITODYS, CNRS, UMR 7086, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Le Caër
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, NIMBE, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Antoine Thill
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, NIMBE, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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