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This book demonstrates that solar energy, the most abundant and clean renewable energy, can be utilized to drive methane activation and conversion under mild conditions. The book reports that coupling solar energy and thermal energy can significantly enhance methane conversion at mild temperatures using plasmonic nanometal-based catalysts, with a substantial decrease in apparent activation energy of methane conversion. Furthermore, this book, for the first time, reports the direct photocatalytic methane oxidation into liquid oxygenates (methanol and formaldehyde) with only molecular oxygen in pure water at room temperature with high yield and selectivity over nanometals and semiconductors (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). These findings are a big stride toward methane conversion and inspire researchers to develop strategies for efficient and selective conversion of methane to high-value-added chemicals under mild conditions.
Providing critical analysis of emerging and well-established topics, this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to keep up to date with the literature on photochemistry and its applications. Volume 49 combines reviews on the latest advances in photochemical research with specific highlights in the field. The first section includes periodical reports of the recent literature on physical and inorganic aspects, including reviews of the molecules employed as dyes in art, light induced reactions in cryogenic matrices, photobiological systems studied by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy and photophysics, and photochemistry of transition metal complexes. This selection is completed by reviews of the literature on solar photocatalysis for water decontamination and disinfection and for water splitting/hydrogen production. Coverage continues in the second part with highlighted topics, from the use of aromatic carbonyls as photocatalysts and photoinitiators in synthesis, photoinduced and photocatalysed decarboxylation reactions, development of dye-sensitized solar cells, design of luminescent water-soluble systems, and applications of plasmonic nanoparticles. This volume also includes a third section entitled ‘SPR Lectures on Photochemistry’, where leading scientists in photochemistry provide examples to introduce a photochemical topic to academic readers, offering precious assistance to students in this field.
Photocatalysis is one of the key technologies for clean energy and environmental applications. The number of applications based on photocatalysis has increased dramatically for the past two decades. Photocatalytic activation of C-H bonds is an emerging field. Methane is a promising source of energy with a huge reserve and is considered to be one of the alternatives to non-renewable petroleum resources because it can be converted to valuable hydrocarbon feedstocks and hydrogen through appropriate reactions. However, due to its high stability, high energy is usually consumed for its conversion, which remains a problem to be solved. Methane conversion and reaction mechanism occurring on metal-heteropolyacid-titania nanocomposites were investigated in Chapters 3 and 4. Oxidation of methane has been carried out for more than a century. Since oxygen is a very reactive molecule, methane can react very rapidly with molecular oxygen and is prone to total oxidation till CO2. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a desired product with high yield and high selectivity. We report here direct and selective photocatalytic highly-selective oxidation of methane to carbon monoxide under ambient conditions. The composite catalysts on the basis of zinc, tungstophosphoric acid and titania exhibit exceptional performance in this reaction, high carbon monoxide selectivity and quantum efficiency of 7.1% at 362 nm. The reaction is consistent with the Mars-Van Krevelen type sequence and involves formation of the surface methoxy-carbonates as intermediates and zinc oxidation-reduction cycling. In the past few decades, extensive research has focused on the direct conversion of methane to alcohols or higher hydrocarbons. The current processes of converting methane to alcohols or olefins are complex and expensive, because they require an intermediate step of reforming methane to syngas. Although the direct conversion of methane to more valuable products has significant environmental and potential commercial value, there is no commercial scale process available. We uncovered highly selective (>90%) quantitative photochemical direct conversion of methane to ethane at ambient temperature over silver-heteropolyacid-titania nanocomposites. The ethane yield from methane reaches 9 % on the optimized materials. High quantum efficiency, high selectivity and significant yield of ethane combined with excellent stability are major advantages of methane quantitative synthesis from methane using the photochemical looping approach. The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves have raised serious concerns about the subsequent impact of CO2 on the global climate and future energy supply. The use of abundant solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into fuel, such as carbon monoxide, methane or methanol, solves both problems simultaneously and provides a convenient method of energy storage. Chapter 5 addresses a new efficient catalyst for selective CO2 to CO conversion. The zinc containing phosphotungstic acid-titania nanocomposites exhibited exceptional high activity reaching 50 μmol CO/g·h and selectivity (73%) in the CO2 photocatalytic reduction to CO in the presence of water. The in-situ IR experiments suggest that reaction involves zinc bicarbonates containing hydroxyl groups. The decomposition of these zinc bicarbonate species under irradiation leads to the selective production of carbon monoxide and oxygen. In photocatalytic reactions, the difference in catalyst morphology usually has a significant effect on the photocatalytic performance. Chapter 6 studied the effect of monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) crystals with controlled ratio of {010} and {110} facets for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 by H2O. The reaction under irradiation is significantly enhanced by selective photo-deposition of Cu and Co co-catalysts over different facets providing Z-scheme charge flow.
The series Topics in Current Chemistry presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in modern chemical research. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research chemists at universities or in industry, graduate students
Troy Townsend's thesis explores the structure, energetics and activity of three inorganic nanocrystal photocatalysts. The goal of this work is to investigate the potential of metal oxide nanocrystals for application in photocatalytic water splitting, which could one day provide us with clean hydrogen fuel derived from water and solar energy. Specifically, Townsend's work addresses the effects of co-catalyst addition to niobium oxide nanotubes for photocatalytic water reduction to hydrogen, and the first use of iron oxide 'rust' in nanocrystal suspensions for oxygen production. In addition, Townsend studies a nickel/oxide-strontium titanate nanocomposite which can be described as one of only four nanoscale water splitting photocatalysts. He also examines the charge transport for this system. Overall, this collection of studies brings relevance to the design of inorganic nanomaterials for photocatalytic water splitting while introducing new directions for solar energy conversion.
Photoactive metal oxide nanomaterials enable full or partial water splitting by reducing water to hydrogen and oxidizing water into oxygen through transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes, respectively, upon absorption of light of certain frequencies. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) is one of the useful instruments to study these materials through observation of their atomic structures using high resolution imaging and through chemical analyses using complementary analytical techniques. Combinations of z-contrast imaging, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were used to elucidate the structures of IrO2, H2Ti4O9, H2K2Nb6O1-- and WO3 photocatalysts. STEM techniques were also employed to observe the reduction of V2O5 nanoribbons into photoactive VO2 and to monitor the effect of sonication on the size and crystallinity of TBACa2Nb3O10 (TBA = tetrabutylammonium) nano sheets. Aberration-corrected STEM equipped with a fluid stage was utilized to examine water catalysis by TBACa2Nb3O10 in situ under the electron beam. Phenomena associated with calcium niobate catalysis such as photodeposition of Pt and IrO2 co-catalysts and the surface poisoning with Ag particles during water oxidation were observed in real time. Formation of gas bubbles during water reduction was also detected as it occurs using dark field imaging and EELS. Electron microscopy was also employed to probe charge separation and distribution of redox-active sites on photolabeled TBACa2Nb3O10. The sizes, shapes, and particle densities vary with the precursor concentration and the presence of sacrificial agents. Photogenerated electrons and holes were shown to be accessible throughout the nanosheets, without evidence for spatial charge separation across the sheet. To measure the relative catalytic activities of multiple photocatalysts, a comparative quantum efficiency (QE) study was carried out on the H2Ti4O9 nanobelts, H2K2Nb6O1-- nanoscrolls, PA2K2Nb6O1-- (PA = propylammonium) and TBACa2Nb3O10 nanosheets, and their platinated counterparts. Hydrogen and oxygen evolved upon irradiation with a Xe lamp were measured using gas chromatography (GC). The QEs of these catalysts were found to be dependent on the quasi-Fermi levels (QFLs) and the mobility of the charge carriers as measured by surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV). A similar photocatalytic study was employed to measure the effects of exfoliation, sacrificial charge donors, presence of co-catalysts, and co-catalyst deposition conditions on the TBACa2Nb3O10 nanosheets. Factorial analysis on the hydrogen and oxygen evolution results showed the degree of dependence of catalytic activity on these factors. High resolution STEM and cyclic voltammetry showed the structural and electronic features of the nanosheets that give rise to the observed effects of the factors studied.
A reasonable case could be made that the scientific interest in catalytic oxidation was the basis for the recognition of the phenomenon of catalysis. Davy, in his attempt in 1817 to understand the science associated with the safety lamp he had invented a few years earlier, undertook a series of studies that led him to make the observation that a jet of gas, primarily methane, would cause a platinum wire to continue to glow even though the flame was extinguished and there was no visible flame. Dobereiner reported in 1823 the results of a similar investigation and observed that spongy platina would cause the ignition of a stream of hydrogen in air. Based on this observation Dobereiner invented the first lighter. His lighter employed hydrogen (generated from zinc and sulfuric acid) which passed over finely divided platinum and which ignited the gas. Thousands of these lighters were used over a number of years. Dobereiner refused to file a patent for his lighter, commenting that "I love science more than money." Davy thought the action of platinum was the result of heat while Dobereiner believed the ~ffect ~as a manifestation of electricity. Faraday became interested in the subject and published a paper on it in 1834; he concluded that the cause for this reaction was similar to other reactions.
Light assisted or driven fuel generation by carbon dioxide and proton reduction can be achieved by a p-type semiconductor/liquid junction. There are four different types of schemes which are typically used for carbon dioxide and proton reduction for fuel generation applications. In these systems, the semiconductor can serve the dual role of a catalyst and a light absorber. Specific electrocatalysts (heterogeneous and homogeneous) can be driven by p-type semiconductor where it works only as light absorber in order to achieve better selectivity and faster rates of catalysis. The p-type semiconductor/molecular catalyst junction is primarily explored in this dissertation for CO2 and proton photoelectrochemical reduction. A general principle for the operation of p-type semiconductor/molecular junctions is proposed and validated for several molecular catalysts in contact with p-Si photocathode. It is also shown that the light assisted homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis can coexist. This principle is extended to achieve direct conversion of CO2 to methanol on Platinum nanoparticles decorated p-Si in aqueous medium through pyridine/pyridinium system for CO2 reduction. An open circuit voltage higher than 600 mV is achieved for p-Si/Re(bipy-tBu)(CO)3Cl [where bipy-tBu = 4,4'- tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine] (Re-catalyst) junction. The photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO3 using a p-Si/Re-catalyst junction is obtained at 100 % Faradaic efficiency. The homogeneous catalytic current density for CO2 by p-Si/Re-catalyst junction under illumination scales linearly with illumination intensity (both polychromatic and monochromatic). This indicates that the homogeneous catalysis is light driven for the p-Si/Re-catalyst junction system up to light intensities approaching one sun. The photoelectrochemical reduction of other active members of Re(bipyridyl)(CO)3Cl molecular catalyst family is also observed on illuminated p-Si photocathode. Effects of surface modification and nanowire morphology of the p-Si photocathode on the homogeneous catalytic reduction of CO2 by using p-Si/Re-catalyst junction are also described in this dissertation. For phenyl ethyl modified p-Si photocathode, the rate of homogeneous catalysis for CO2 reduction by Re-catalyst is three times greater than glassy carbon electrode and six times greater than the hexyl modified and the hydrogen terminated p-Si photocathodes. When hexyl modified p-Si nanowires are used as photocathode, the homogeneous catalytic current density increased by a factor of two compared to planar p-Si (both freshly etched and hexyl modified) photocathode. A successful light assisted generation of syngas (H2:CO = 2:1) from CO2 and water is achieved by using p-Si/Re-catalyst. In this system, water is reduced heterogeneously on p-Si surface and CO2 is reduced homogeneously by Re-catalyst. The same principle is extended to the homogeneous proton reduction by using p-Si/[FeFe] complex junction where [FeFe] complex [Fe2([Mu]-bdt)(CO)6] (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate)] is a proton reduction molecular catalyst. A short circuit quantum efficiency of 79 % with 100 % Faradaic efficiency and 600 mV open circuit are achieved by using p-Si/[FeFe] complex for proton reduction with 300 mM perchloric acid as a proton source. Cobalt difluororyl-diglyoximate (Co-catalyst) is a proton reduction catalyst with only 200 mV of overpotential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HRE). The Co-catalyst is photoelectrochemically reduced with a photovoltage of 470 mV on illuminated p-Si photocathode. For p-Si photocathodes, the overpotential for proton reduction is over 1 V. In principle, p-Si/Co-catalyst junction can reduce proton to hydrogen homogeneously at underpotential. In a concluding effort, a wireless monolithic dual face single photoelectrode (multi junction photovoltaic cell which can generate a voltage higher 1.7 V) based photochemical cell is proposed for direct conversion of solar energy into liquid fuel. In this device, the two faces of the multijunction photoelectrode are serve as an anode and a cathode for water oxidation and fuel generation, respectively, and are separated by proton exchange membrane.