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Sahm CD, Ciotti A, Mates-Torres E, Badiani V, Sokołowski K, Neri G, Cowan AJ, García-Melchor M, Reisner E. Tuning the local chemical environment of ZnSe quantum dots with dithiols towards photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. Chem Sci 2022; 13:5988-5998. [PMID: 35685808 PMCID: PMC9132019 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00890d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sunlight-driven CO2 reduction to renewable fuels is a promising strategy towards a closed carbon cycle in a circular economy. For that purpose, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a versatile light absorber platform that offers many possibilities for surface modification strategies. Considerable attention has been focused on tailoring the local chemical environment of the catalytic site for CO2 reduction with chemical functionalities ranging from amino acids to amines, imidazolium, pyridines, and others. Here we show that dithiols, a class of organic compounds previously unexplored in the context of CO2 reduction, can enhance photocatalytic CO2 reduction on ZnSe QDs. A short dithiol (1,2-ethanedithiol) activates the QD surface for CO2 reduction accompanied by a suppression of the competing H2 evolution reaction. In contrast, in the presence of an immobilized Ni(cyclam) co-catalyst, a longer dithiol (1,6-hexanedithiol) accelerates CO2 reduction. 1H-NMR spectroscopy studies of the dithiol-QD surface interactions reveal a strong affinity of the dithiols for the QD surface accompanied by a solvation sphere governed by hydrophobic interactions. Control experiments with a series of dithiol analogues (monothiol, mercaptoalcohol) render the hydrophobic chemical environment unlikely as the sole contribution of the enhancement of CO2 reduction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide a framework to rationalize the observed dithiol length dependent activity through the analysis of the non-covalent interactions between the dangling thiol moiety and the CO2 reduction intermediates at the catalytic site. This work therefore introduces dithiol capping ligands as a straightforward means to enhance CO2 reduction catalysis on both bare and co-catalyst modified QDs by engineering the particle's chemical environment. ZnSe quantum dots (yellow sphere) are modified with dithiols of various lengths for enhanced visible light-driven CO2 to CO reduction in either the absence or presence of a molecular Ni co-catalyst.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin D. Sahm
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Anna Ciotti
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin, 2, Ireland
| | - Eric Mates-Torres
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin, 2, Ireland
| | - Vivek Badiani
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Kamil Sokołowski
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Gaia Neri
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, Department of Chemistry, The University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Alexander J. Cowan
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, Department of Chemistry, The University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Max García-Melchor
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin, 2, Ireland
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
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Sahm CD, Ucoski GM, Roy S, Reisner E. Automated and Continuous-Flow Platform to Analyze Semiconductor–Metal Complex Hybrid Systems for Photocatalytic CO 2 Reduction. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c02921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Constantin D. Sahm
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Geani M. Ucoski
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Souvik Roy
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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Sahm CD, Mates-Torres E, Eliasson N, Sokołowski K, Wagner A, Dalle KE, Huang Z, Scherman OA, Hammarström L, García-Melchor M, Reisner E. Imidazolium-modification enhances photocatalytic CO 2 reduction on ZnSe quantum dots. Chem Sci 2021; 12:9078-9087. [PMID: 34276937 PMCID: PMC8261709 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc01310f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Colloidal photocatalysts can utilize solar light for the conversion of CO2 to carbon-based fuels, but controlling the product selectivity for CO2 reduction remains challenging, in particular in aqueous solution. Here, we present an organic surface modification strategy to tune the product selectivity of colloidal ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) towards photocatalytic CO2 reduction even in the absence of transition metal co-catalysts. Besides H2, imidazolium-modified ZnSe QDs evolve up to 2.4 mmolCO gZnSe -1 (TONQD > 370) after 10 h of visible light irradiation (AM 1.5G, λ > 400 nm) in aqueous ascorbate solution with a CO-selectivity of up to 20%. This represents a four-fold increase in CO-formation yield and 13-fold increase in CO-selectivity compared to non-functionalized ZnSe QDs. The binding of the thiolated imidazolium ligand to the QD surface is characterized quantitatively using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry, revealing that a subset of 12 to 17 ligands interacts strongly with the QDs. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals an influence of the ligand on the intrinsic charge carrier dynamics through passivating Zn surface sites. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the imidazolium capping ligand plays a key role in stabilizing the surface-bound *CO2 - intermediate, increasing the yield and selectivity toward CO production. Overall, this work unveils a powerful tool of using organic capping ligands to modify the chemical environment on colloids, thus enabling control over the product selectivity within photocatalyzed CO2 reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin D Sahm
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Eric Mates-Torres
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Nora Eliasson
- Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University Box 523 751 20 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Kamil Sokołowski
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk.,Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK.,Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44/52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Andreas Wagner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Kristian E Dalle
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
| | - Zehuan Huang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk.,Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Oren A Scherman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk.,Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Leif Hammarström
- Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University Box 523 751 20 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Max García-Melchor
- School of Chemistry, CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, Trinity College Dublin, College Green Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Rd Cambridge CB2 1EW UK http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk
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Roy S, Miller M, Warnan J, Leung JJ, Sahm CD, Reisner E. Electrocatalytic and Solar-Driven Reduction of Aqueous CO2 with Molecular Cobalt Phthalocyanine–Metal Oxide Hybrid Materials. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Roy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- School of Chemistry, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, U.K
| | - Melanie Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Julien Warnan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Jane J. Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Constantin D. Sahm
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
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Kuehnel MF, Creissen CE, Sahm CD, Wielend D, Schlosser A, Orchard KL, Reisner E. ZnSe Nanorods as Visible-Light Absorbers for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical H 2 Evolution in Water. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:5059-5063. [PMID: 30715778 PMCID: PMC6492148 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201814265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A precious-metal- and Cd-free photocatalyst system for efficient H2 evolution from aqueous protons with a performance comparable to Cd-based quantum dots is presented. Rod-shaped ZnSe nanocrystals (nanorods, NRs) with a Ni(BF4 )2 co-catalyst suspended in aqueous ascorbic acid evolve H2 with an activity up to 54±2 mmol H 2 gZnSe -1 h-1 and a quantum yield of 50±4 % (λ=400 nm) under visible light illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2 , λ>400 nm). Under simulated full-spectrum solar irradiation (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2 ), up to 149±22 mmol H 2 gZnSe -1 h-1 is generated. Significant photocorrosion was not noticeable within 40 h and activity was even observed without an added co-catalyst. The ZnSe NRs can also be used to construct an inexpensive delafossite CuCrO2 photocathode, which does not rely on a sacrificial electron donor. Immobilized ZnSe NRs on CuCrO2 generate photocurrents of around -10 μA cm-2 in an aqueous electrolyte solution (pH 5.5) with a photocurrent onset potential of approximately +0.75 V vs. RHE. This work establishes ZnSe as a state-of-the-art light absorber for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical H2 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.,Department of Chemistry, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Charles E Creissen
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Constantin D Sahm
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Dominik Wielend
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Anja Schlosser
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Katherine L Orchard
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
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Kuehnel MF, Creissen CE, Sahm CD, Wielend D, Schlosser A, Orchard KL, Reisner E. ZnSe Nanorods as Visible‐Light Absorbers for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical H
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Evolution in Water. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201814265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Moritz F. Kuehnel
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
- Department of ChemistrySwansea University Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP UK
| | - Charles E. Creissen
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Constantin D. Sahm
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Dominik Wielend
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Anja Schlosser
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Katherine L. Orchard
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Syngas ChemistryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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