Hole mediated coupling in Sr2Nb2O7 for visible light photocatalysis

The band gap reduction and effective utilization of visible solar light are possible by introducing the anionic hole-hole mediated coupling in Sr(2)Nb(2)O(7). By using the first principles calculations, we have investigated the mono- and co-anionic doping (S, N and C) in layered perovskite Sr(2)Nb(2)O(7) for the visible-light photocatalysis. Our electronic structure and optical absorption study shows that the mono- (N and S) and co-anionic doped (N-N and C-S) Sr(2)Nb(2)O(7) systems are promising materials for the visible light photocatalysis. The calculated binding energies show that if the hole-hole mediated coupling could be introduced, the co-doped systems would be more stable than their respective mono-doped systems. Optical absorption curves indicate that doping S, (N-N) and (C-S) in Sr(2)Nb(2)O(7) can harvest a longer wavelength of the visible light spectrum as compared to the pure Sr(2)Nb(2)O(7) for efficient photocatalysis.     

Black BiOCl with disorder surface structure prepared by Fe reduction and the enhanced photocatalytic activity

Black bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) with disordered surface structure has been prepared by a facile Fe reduction method and successfully used as a visible-light photocatalyst. XRD and FESEM results showed that black BiOCl has pure BiOCl phase with plate-like structure. The as-prepared black sample exhibited a broad absorption covered the whole visible light region. The high-resolution TEM images revealed the disordered surface structure, which could be the reason for the black color of BiOCl. The disordered surface was not only responsible for the visible-light absorption but also played a vital role in improving the separation of photo-induced electrons and holes. Methyl orange (MO) photocatalytic degradation experiments showed that the black sample exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than the pristine BiOCl under visible light irradiation. A possible formation mechanism of black BiOCl under Fe reduction was also proposed in our research work.     

Multi-Color Fluorescent Carbon Dots: Graphitized sp2 Conjugated Domains and Surface State Energy Level Co-Modulate Band Gap Rather Than Size Effects

Four types of carbon dots (CDs) with various color (blue, green, yellow, and red) emissions have been synthesized under solvent-free conditions from citric acid and different nitrogen sources (DMF, urea, ethanamide, and formamide). By detailed characterization and comparison, it is confirmed that the graphitized sp² conjugated domain and surface functional groups such as C−O and C=N play synergetic roles in adjusting the fluorescence properties. Notably, the size effect is not the dominant mechanism to achieve multi-color fluorescence emissions in this work. The structural configuration of the carbon dots further influences the energy band structure, as demonstrated in simplified energy level diagrams. An absorption peak at approximately 560 nm appears in the visible light region for red-emitting CDs, assigned to an n→π* transition of the aromatic structure, thus introducing a new surface state energy level, resulting in a reduction in the energy of electron transition and the expansion into the visible region of the UV/Vis spectrum. Taking advantage of the diverse absorption and emission properties, different CDs/TiO₂ binary composites are obtained for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes, and it is found that the absorption range in terms of visible light and the band gap of the carbon dots make a difference to the photocatalytic performance of the composites.     

Fluorescence Intensity Enhancement of Green Carbon Dots: Synthesis,Characterization and Cell Imaging

The hydrothermal treatment of green carbon dots (CDs) is an appropriate fluorescent probe synthesis method. CDs are exploited as biological staining agents, especially for cellular detection and imaging. The nitrogen-doped green carbon dots (N-CDs) formation can improve the fluorescence intensity property in a one-step process. Here, we report two N-CDs from lemon and tomato extraction in the presence of hydroxylamine. Lemon and tomato N-CDs showed the blue fluorescence under ultraviolet radiation of about 360 nm. The characterization of CDs and N-CDs showed the presence of N-H and C–N bonds which enhanced the fluorescence efficiency. The mean size of lemon and tomato N-CDs were about 2 and 3 nm with an increased quantum yield (QY) of 5% and 3.38%, respectively. The CDs and N-CDs cytotoxicity assay exhibited high cell viability approximately 85% and 73%, respectively. N-CDs show superior fluorescent intensity in different solvents and significant stability under long-time UV irradiation, different PH and high ionic strength. Our results indicated that the use of N-CDs in cell imaging can lead to fluorescence intensity enhancement as well as proper biocompatibility. Therefore, the safe and high fluorescence intensity of green N-CDs can be utilized for fluorescent probes in biolabeling and bioimaging applications.     

Control of Spatially Homogeneous Distribution of Heteroatoms to Produce Red TiO2 Photocatalyst for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Water Splitting

The strong band-to-band absorption of photocatalysts spanning the whole visible-light region (400–700 nm) is critically important for solar-driven photocatalysis. Although it has been actively and widely used as a photocatalyst for various reactions in the past four decades, TiO₂ has a very poor ability to capture the whole spectrum of visible light. In this work, by controlling the spatially homogeneous distribution of boron and nitrogen heteroatoms in anatase TiO₂ microspheres with a predominance of high-energy {001} facets, a strong visible-light absorption spectrum with a sharp edge beyond 680 nm has been achieved. The red TiO₂ obtained with homogeneous doping of boron and nitrogen shows no increase in defects like Ti³⁺ that are commonly observed in doped TiO₂. More importantly, it has the ability to induce photocatalytic water oxidation to produce oxygen under the irradiation of visible light beyond 550 nm and also the photocatalytic reduction of water to produce hydrogen under visible light. These results demonstrate the great promise of using red TiO₂ for visible-light photocatalytic water splitting and also reveal an attractive strategy for realizing the wide-spectrum visible-light absorption of wide-band-gap oxide photocatalysts.     

BiOCl/UiO‐66 composite with enhanced performance for photo‐assisted degradation of dye from water

Semiconductor‐based photocatalysis is an environmental friendly and cost‐effective technique for water treatment. Due to their unique properties, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as ideal platform to develop composite photocatalyst. In this study, Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) was first attempt to be incorporated with highly stable MOFs, UiO‐66(Zr) by hydrothermal reaction. Different characterization methods including X‐ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy had been used to prove the successful synthesis of composite photocatalyst. The resultant BiOCl/UiO‐66 composite showed higher photodegradation performance of Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation than that of pristine materials and their mechanically mixed sample. In addition, the composite exhibited good structural stability and reusability. The photocatalytic mechanism of RhB degradation over the composite under visible light proceeded via a photosensitization process. A better adsorptivity of RhB and effective electron transfer within the hybrid material might be responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance.     

BiOCl/In2S3复合可见光催化剂制备及性能研究

氯氧化铋（BiOCl）较大的禁带宽度使得其只能对紫外光产生响应,严重制约了其进一步光催化应用。为实现BiOCl对可见光的利用,以In2S3为可见光光敏剂,并基于高效实用的机械研磨手段构建BiOCl/In2S3复合可见光催化剂。通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(EDS)、X射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(FT-IR)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)等方法对催化剂的形貌和结构进行表征。选择盐酸四环素（TC）可见光催化降解为评价模型,系统研究了BiOCl/In2S3复合比例对光催化活性的影响。结果表明两者复合比例为1:1时具有最佳的光催化活性,在可见光照射下对TC的降解效率高达91.4%,且经3次循环降解效率仍保持在87.3%。机理研究表明,In2S3被可见光激发产生电子注入BiOCl的导带(CB),能有效提升载流子的分离效率,而h+和?O2-是光降解过程中的主要活性物质。该项研究工作充分表明了In2S3对BiOCl的高效光敏活性,展示了物理复合法在新型高效可见光催化体系构建中的重要意义。     

Quantitative XAFS/EELS analyses of nitrogen species in titanium oxide photocatalysts

With a view to rational designing of a highly functional visible-light TiO₂ photocatalyst, nitrogen atoms were doped into TiO₂ samples by an ion implantation technique which enables to control the depth and concentration of dopants. Although the absorbance in the visible-light region of the sample increased by the nitrogen doping, photocatalytic activity of the sample was not directly connected with the photo-absorbance. The N K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectrum of the photocatalytic active sample (A-cat) showed a characteristic double peak at 398 and 401 eV, and the XANES spectrum of the inactive sample (I-cat) a distinct single peak around 401 eV. These features of the XANES spectra were well reproduced by theoretical simulations based on the model where an O atom in TiO₂ was replaced by N ((N)s) for A-cat, and that of quasi NO₂ molecule ((NO₂)s) for I-cat. Therefore, we have concluded that the nitrogen atom occupying the oxygen site of TiO₂ is photocatalytic active species effective for visible light photocatalysis. In addition, the quantitative XANES/ELNES analysis has revealed that the photo-absorbance ratio of I-cat to A-cat corresponds well to the ratio of total doped nitrogen concentration rather than photocatalytic active nitrogen ((N)s) concentration. This result indicates that not only (N)s but also (NO₂)s also absorb the visible light. Thus, the absorbance in the visible-light region is not necessarily an indication of the visible-light response of a photocatalyst.     

碱金属掺杂的石墨相氮化碳在可见光光催化制氢中的比较研究(英文)

利用半导体光催化技术将太阳能转化为清洁化学能源是解决能源危机和环境问题的最有潜力的途径之一.过去几十年,许多半导体包括氧化物、硫化物和氮化物均表现出光催化活性.然而,半导体光催化的实际应用仍然受制于其较低的太阳能转化效率.解决上述问题的方法之一是发展高效的可见光光催化制氢材料.近年来,石墨相氮化碳(g-C_3N_4)作为一种聚合物半导体材料,受到了光催化研究人员的广泛关注.g-C_3N_4具有可见光吸收能力、合适的导带价带位置、良好的热稳定性和化学稳定性,且制备方法简单和结构易调控,是一种极具潜力的光催化制氢材料.然而g-C_3N_4仍然仅能吸收波长450 nm以下的光,且其光生电子和空穴极易复合,因而光催化制氢效率较低.目前,研究人员采用了多种改性方法来增强g-C_3N_4的光催化性能,其中通过元素掺杂进行能带结构调控是一种非常有效的策略.而碱金属原子(Li,Na和K)被认为可有效进入g-C_3N_4的内部结构,通过引入缺陷来拓宽g-C_3N_4的光吸收范围和提高光生电荷的分离效率.不过到目前为止,尚未见系统的比较研究来深入理解不同碱金属元素掺杂的g-C_3N_4在可见光光催化制氢中的性能差异.本文采用X射线衍射(XRD)、氮气吸附-脱附测试、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-visDRS)、时间分辨荧光光谱(TRPL)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、光电化学测试和光催化制氢测试等表征和测试手段比较研究了不同碱金属元素掺杂的g-C_3N_4在结构、光学性质、能带结构、电荷转移能力和光催化性能等方面的差异.XRD结果表明,碱金属掺杂可导致g-C_3N_4的层间距离增大,且碱金属原子半径越大,g-C_3N_4的层间距离越大.氮气吸附-脱附测试结果表明,碱金属掺杂可提高g-C_3N_4的比表面积,其中Na掺杂的最高.UV-vis DRS和XPS谱结果表明,依Li,Na,K的顺序,碱金属掺杂导致g-C_3N_4带隙逐渐变窄,使得可见光吸收能力逐渐增强,且其导带和价带位置逐渐下移.TRPL和光电化学测试结果显示,碱金属掺杂有效抑制了g-C_3N_4的光生载流子复合和促进了光生载流子的转移,其中Na掺杂的g-C_3N_4的光生载流子利用效率最高.可见光光催化制氢实验表明,碱金属掺杂显著提升了g-C_3N_4的光催化性能,其中以Na掺杂的g-C_3N_4性能最佳,其产氢速率(18.7mmol h–1)较纯的g-C_3N_4(5.0mmol h–1)可提高至3.7倍.由此可见,g-C_3N_4的掺杂改性是一个对其微结构和能带结构的优化调控过程,最终获得最优的光催化性能.     

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets: synthesis, characterization and visible-light photocatalytic activity

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped TiO(2) nanosheets with exposed {001} facets (N-S-TiO(2)) were prepared by a simple mixing-calcination method using the hydrothermally prepared TiO(2) nanosheets powder as a precursor and thiourea as a dopant. The resulting samples were characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The electronic properties of N,S co-doped TiO(2) were studied using the first-principle density functional theory (DFT). The photocatalytic activity of N-S-TiO(2) was evaluated by degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The production of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) on the surface of visible-light-irradiated samples was detected by photoluminescence technique using terephthalic acid as a probe molecule. The results show that nitrogen and sulfur atoms were successfully incorporated into the lattice of TiO(2), which resulted in N-S-TiO(2) samples exhibiting stronger absorption in the UV-visible range with a red shift in the band gap transition. The first-principle DFT calculations further confirm that N and S co-dopants can induce the formation of new energy levels in the band gap, which is associated with the response of N-S-TiO(2) nanosheets to visible light irradiation. Surprisingly, pure TiO(2) nanosheets show the visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 4-CP mainly due to the substrate-surface complexation of TiO(2) and 4-CP, which results in extending absorption of titania to visible light region through ligand-to-titanium charge transfer. The N-S-TiO(2) samples studied exhibited an enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity than pure TiO(2). Especially, the doped TiO(2) sample at the nominal weight ratio of thiourea to TiO(2) powder of 2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which was about twice greater than that of Degussa P25. The enhanced activity of N-S-TiO(2) can be primarily attributed to the synergetic effects of two factors including the intense absorption in the visible-light region and the exposure of highly reactive {001} facets of TiO(2) nanosheets. The former is beneficial for the photogeneration of electrons and holes participating in the photocatalytic reactions, and the latter facilitates adsorption of 4-CP molecules on the surface of TiO(2) nanosheets.     

Decomposition of rhodamine 6G in the presence of titania coupling coupled with carbon source as photocatalyst under visible light excitation

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of N-containing R6G dye was achieved by visible light-activated carbon doped TiO₂ (C-TiO₂) nanoparticles, synthesized by a low-temperature wet-chemical technique using glucose as carbon source. The structural and physicochemical properties of C-TiO₂ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and FT-IR spectroscopy. Compared with the pure TiO₂, the carbon modified nanomaterials exhibited enhanced absorption in the broad visible-light region together with an apparent red shift in the optical absorption edge. The resulting carbon-doped TiO₂ catalyst was employed as an effective photocatalyst for degradation of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). In addition, the intrinsic mechanism of visible light-induced photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds on the carbon-doped titania was proposed and discussed.     

Cu–N Dopants Boost Electron Transfer and Photooxidation Reactions of Carbon Dots

The broadband light‐absorption ability of carbon dots (CDs) has inspired their application in photocatalysis, however this has been impeded by poor electron transfer inside the CDs. Herein, we report the preparation of Cu–N‐doped CDs (Cu‐CDs) and investigate both the doping‐promoted electron transfer and the performance of the CDs in photooxidation reactions. The Cu–N doping was achieved through a one‐step pyrolytic synthesis of CDs with Na₂[Cu(EDTA)] as precursor. As confirmed by ESR, FTIR, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies, the Cu species chelates with the carbon matrix through Cu–N complexes. As a result of the Cu–N doping, the electron‐accepting and ‐donating abilities were enhanced 2.5 and 1.5 times, and the electric conductivity was also increased to 171.8 μs cm^?1. As a result of these enhanced properties, the photocatalytic efficiency of CDs in the photooxidation reaction of 1,4‐dihydro‐2,6‐dimethylpyridine‐3,5‐dicarboxylate is improved 3.5‐fold after CD doping.     

铬取代杂多阴离子PW11O39Cr（Ⅲ）（H2O）4-可见光催化降解罗丹明B

为了利用太阳光能去除水体有机染料污染物,以Keggin型铬取代杂多阴离子PW11O39Cr(III)(H2O)4-(PW11Cr)为光催化剂, 详细研究在可见光照射下PW11Cr对水体有机染料污染物罗丹明B(RhB)的光催化降解作用, 考察RhB和PW11Cr初始浓度以及溶液pH对RhB可见光催化降解速率的影响, 并通过可见吸收光谱和荧光发射光谱研究水溶液中PW11Cr和RhB的相互作用, 提出PW11Cr光催化作用的机理. 实验结果表明,含有50 μTTmol·L-1 PW11Cr和10 μTTmol·L-1 RhB的水溶液在200 W可见光下照射120 min, RhB的降解率达到100%,总有机碳去除率约32%. 在PW11Cr浓度较大和pH<3.5的酸性条件下, PW11Cr与RhB之间易发生络合, 导致RhB光降解速率变慢,而PW11Cr浓度为50 μTTmol·L-1和溶液接近中性条件下, RhB的光降解速率较快.     

Comparative study for N and S doped carbon dots: Synthesis,characterization and applications for Fe probe and cellular imaging

A facile and eco-friendly approach to prepare nitrogen(N)- and sulfur(S)-doped carbon dots (CDs) by one step microwave-assisted pyrolysis of the precursors with dl-malic acid as carbon source, ethanolamine and ethane-sulfonic acid as N and S dopants, respectively, was reported. Through the extensive investigation on morphology, chemical structures and optical properties of the carbon dots, it was found that the obtained CDs exhibited good luminescence stability, high resistance to photo bleaching and favorite solubility. Compared with undoped CDs, adding the N or S dopant could give rise to a slightly smaller particle size and a long fluorescence lifetime of CDs. Moreover, the optimal N-CDs was successfully employed as good multicolor cell imaging probes due to its fine dispersion in water, excitation-dependent emission, excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity. Besides, such N-CDs showed a wide detection range and excellent accuracy as fluorescent probe for Fe³⁺ ions. This probe enabled the selective detection of Fe³⁺ ions with a linear range of 6.0–200 μM and a limit of detection of 0.80 μM.     

Synthesis of carbon dots with a tunable photoluminescence and their applications for the detection of acetone and hydrogen peroxide

Carbon dots(CDs) with multi-color emissive properties and a high photoluminescent quantum yield(PLQY) have attracted great attention recently due to their potential applications in chemical,environmental,biological and photo-electronic fields.Solvent-dependent effect in photoluminescence provides a facial and effective approach to tune the emission of CDs.In this study,green emissive nitrogen-doped carbon dots(N-CDs) are synthesized from p-hydroquinone and ethylenediamine through a simple hydrothermal method.The as-prepared N-CDs possess a robust excitation-independent green luminescence and a high PLQY of up to 15.9%.Further spectroscopic characterization indicates that the high PLQY is achieved by the balance of nitrogen doping states and the surface passivation extent in CDs.The N-CDs also exhibit solvent-dependent multi-color emissive property and distinct PLQY in different solvents(the maximum can reach up to 25.3%).Furthermore,the as-prepared N-CDs are applied as fluorescence probes to detect acetone and H2O2 in water.This method has exhibited a low detection limit of acetone(less than 0.1 %) and a quick and linear response to the H_2O_2 with the concentration from 0 to 120 μmol/L.This work broadens the knowledge of applying CDs as probes in the bio and chemical sensing fields.     

二氧化钛包裹碘单质(I2/TiO2)制备及其光催化降解苯酚

采用水热法,以Ti(SO₄)₂为钛源,KIO₃为掺碘剂制备了具有高可见光活性,高稳定性的二氧化钛包裹碘单质(I₂/TiO₂)光催化剂.利用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、X射线晶体粉末衍射(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和紫外可见漫反射光谱(DRS)等表征手段对样品进行表征.结果表明,I₂/TiO₂中除含有锐钛矿相二氧化钛外、还含有碘单质和碘酸;I₂/TiO₂粒径大小为45 nm左右;在波长384 nm至700 nm范围内,该催化剂有强烈的吸收.探讨了该催化剂的形成过程和可见光催化机理.以苯酚降解反应为探针,测定了I₂/TiO₂光催化活性.结果显示:在全谱光源照射下I₂/TiO₂活性略高于P25,在可见光范围内其活性是P25的3倍多.确定了降解苯酚的最佳条件:全谱光源照射,投加量为0.5 g/L,苯酚浓度大于10 mg/L,溶液pH为3.2.I₂/TiO₂重复使用4次后,催化活性没有明显下降.     

C-N-S-TiO2光催化剂的制备、表征及其性能

以钛酸四丁酯为钛源、功能生物小分子胱氨酸为掺杂剂,采用溶胶-凝胶法同步合成了C-N-S-TiO2光催化剂,利用XRD、XPS、FT-IR和DRS等测试技术对样品的结构及物化性能进行了表征。XRD和DRS分析表明,共掺杂抑制了TiO2晶粒的生长,提高了晶相转变温度,且C-N-S-TiO2样品的吸收带边明显"红移",光吸收范围一直延长至800 nm左右。XPS分析结果显示,C-N-S-TiO2样品表面产生了杂质能级,C、S元素分别取代部分晶格Ti4+以CO23-和S6+形式存在;而N峰呈宽化状态,以O—Ti—N和Ti—O—N键存在,且样品表面羟基含量明显增加。以罗丹明B染料为模型污染物,考察了该催化剂的可见光催化活性。结果表明,与P25 TiO2比较,C-N-S-TiO2光催化剂活性得到改进,C-N-S-TiO2光催化剂在470～800 nm波长下辐射120 min后对罗丹明B的降解率可高达83%。     

铽负载介孔二氧化钛的制备、表征和协同效应

以嵌段共聚物P123为模板剂,采用蒸发诱导自组装法制备了铽负载介孔TiO2光催化剂,并利用XRD、N2吸附解吸和UV-Vis吸收光谱等技术手段对样品进行了表征。 制备的样品为锐钛矿和金红石混合晶相,以罗丹明B为模拟有机降解物,样品显示了良好的可见光催化活性。 研究发现0.7%的铽负载和380 ℃的煅烧温度是较佳的制备条件。 介孔结构所具有的高的比表面积、小的晶粒尺寸、铽负载诱导的电荷分离和可见光吸收增强协同提高了光催化活性。 同时,提出了铽负载二氧化钛诱导增强光催化作用的机理。     

A New p‐Metal‐n Structure AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr with Superior Visible‐Light‐Responsive Catalytic Performance

A novel visible‐light‐driven AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Taking advantage of both p‐n heterojunctions and localized surface plasmon resonance, the p‐metal‐n structure exhibited a superior performance concerning degradation of methyl orange under visible‐light irradiation (λ>420 nm). A possible photodegradation mechanism in the presence of AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr composites was proposed, and the radical species involved in the degradation reaction were investigated. HO₂^?/^?O₂^? played the same important role as ^?OH in the AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr photocatalytic system, and both the electron and hole were fully used for degradation of organic pollutants. A dual role of metallic Ag in the photocatalysis was proposed, one being surface plasmon resonance and the other being an electron‐hole bridge. Due to the distinctive p‐metal‐n structure, the visible‐light absorption, the separation of photogenerated carriers and the photocatalysis efficiency were greatly enhanced.     

Sensitized Photochemical CO2 Reduction by Hetero-Pacman Compounds Linking a ReI Tricarbonyl with a Porphyrin Unit

The hetero-Pacman architecture places two different metal coordination sites in close proximity, which can support efficient energy and/or electron transfer and allow for cooperative activation of small molecules. Here, the synthesis of dyads consisting of a porphyrin unit as photosensitizer and a rhenium unit as catalytically active site, which are held together by the rigid xanthene backbone, is presented. Mononuclear [(NN)Re(CO)₃(Cl)] complexes for CO₂ reduction in which NN represents a bidentate diimine ligand (e.g., bipyridine or phenanthroline) lack light absorption in the visible region, resulting in poor photocatalysis upon illumination with visible light. To improve their visible-light absorption, we have focused on the incorporation of a strongly absorbing free base or zinc porphyrin unit. Resulting photocatalytic experiments showed a strong dependence of the catalytic performance on both the type of photosensitizer and the excitation wavelengths. Most notably, the intramolecular hetero-Pacman system containing a zinc porphyrin unit showed much better catalytic activity in the visible region (excitation wavelengths >450 nm) than the free base porphyrin version or the corresponding mononuclear rhenium compound or an intermolecular system comprised of a 1:1 mixture of the mononuclear analogues.