Study on carbon dioxide reduction with water over metal oxide photocatalysts

Various metal oxides with 0.1 wt% Ag loaded as a cocatalyst were prepared by an impregnation method and examined their photocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction with water. Among all the prepared Ag-loaded metal oxides, Ga₂O₃, ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, MgO, and La₂O₃ showed activities for CO and H₂ productions under ultraviolet light irradiation. Thus, metal oxides involving metal cations with closed shell electronic structures such as d⁰, d¹⁰, and s⁰ had the potential for CO₂ reduction with water. In situ Fourier transform infrared measurement revealed that the photocatalytic activity and selectivity for CO production are controlled by the amount and chemical states of CO₂ adsorbed on the catalyst surface and by the surface basicity, as summarized as follows: Ag/ZrO₂ enhanced H₂ production rather than CO production due to very little CO₂ adsorption. Ag/Ga₂O₃ exhibited the highest activity for CO production, because adsorbed monodentate bicarbonate was effectively converted to bidentate formate being the reaction intermediates for CO production owing to its weak surface basicity. Ag/La₂O₃, Ag/Y₂O₃, and Ag/MgO having both weak and strong basic sites adsorbed larger amount of carbonate species including their ions and suppressed H₂ production. However, the adsorbed carbonate species were hardly converted to the bidentate formate.     

光促甲烷和水合成甲醇和氢催化剂的研究

用表面改性法制备TiO2/SiO2,以等体积浸渍法制备负载型复合半导体催化剂(MoO3,ZnO)-TiO2/SiO2,通过XRD、BET、TPR、IR、UV-Vis DRS和TPD等技术对材料的表面形态结构、吸光特性、化学吸附性能及光催化甲烷和水的反应性能进行了表征和分析。结果表明,MoO3-TiO2/SiO2和ZnO-TiO2/SiO2的表面物种均具有显著的量子尺寸效应,在表面分别形成Mo—O—Ti和Zn—O—Ti复合结构;MoO3和TiO2在载体表面的复合可提高对光能的利用率并可增强对甲烷的化学吸附性能, 结果使得MoO3-TiO2/SiO2的光催化反应性能明显优于ZnO-TiO2/SiO2;在固定床环隙反应器中,150℃MoO3-TiO2/SiO2光催化气相甲烷和水合成了目的产物甲醇和氢,甲醇的选择性达到87.3％。     

Design of unique titanium oxide photocatalysts by an advanced metal ion-implantation method and photocatalytic reactions under visible light irradiation

The metal ion-implantation of titanium oxide with various transition metal ions was carried out by applying by high voltage acceleration. The subsequent calcination of the implanted TiO₂ in oxygen at around 723 K resulted in a large shift in the absorption spectra of the TiO₂ toward visible light regions, its extent being dependent on the amount and the kind of metal ions implanted. Such metal ion-implanted titanium oxide catalysts were active in carrying out various photocatalytic reactions such as the decomposition of NO into N₂, O₂ and N₂O at 275 K under irradiation with visible light longer than 450 nm. The application of this advanced, high energy metal ion-implantation method enables the novel design of titanium oxide photocatalysts which can absorb and initiate vital reactions under visible light and will contribute to the development of catalytic systems utilizing solar energy.     

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.     

Nanodiamonds as photocatalysts for reduction of water and graphene oxide

Detonated nanodiamonds (NDs) exhibit remarkable photocatalytic activity towards the hydrogen gas generation upon 532 nm laser pulse irradiation. Hydrogenation dramatically increases the quantum yield, suggesting that hydrogen-terminated sites work as electron reservoirs. NDs can also be used as effective photocatalysts to reduce graphene oxide. The resulting composites exhibit high and stable photocurrent generation upon visible light irradiation.     

Physicochemical and electrorheological properties of titanium dioxide modified with metal oxides

The properties of electrorheological fluids containing dispersed phase of titanium dioxide nanoparticles prepared via the sol-gel method and modified with metal oxides have been studied. Titanium dioxide has the anatase structure with crystallite sizes of 8–10 nm and a specific surface area of 90–140 m²/g. It has been found that the magnitude of the electrorheological response of the filler is determined by the specific surface area and the content of a modifying component. The strongest electrorheological response has been revealed for titanium dioxide modified with aluminum oxide at an Al content of 6.5–7.0 mol % relative to TiO₂.     

Benzene alkylation with propane over metal modified HZSM-5

Propane alkylation with benzene over modified zeolite catalysts is one of the good ways for propane utilization. The catalytic performance over various metal modified HZSM-5 catalysts was studied. Addition of Pt or Zn resulted in remarkable increase of the activity. Addition of Mo depressed the activity, but greatly improved selectivity to aromatics, with the content of products from direct addition of propyl group to benzene (IPB and NPB) in the products reaching 81.5 mol%.     

Preconcentration of metal ions on aluminum oxide modified with tiron

It is found that iron(III), titanium(IV), vanadium(V), copper(II), lead(II), and zinc(II) ions are adsorbed on aluminum oxide modified with Tiron. The adsorption of iron(III) is accompanied by the violet coloration of the adsorbent (560 nm), which indicates the formation of a 1: 2 complex on the adsorbent surface; copper forms a 1: 1 yellowish green complex (430 nm). The group preconcentration of metal ions on this adsorbent in a dynamic mode is possible; the preconcentration rate is 2.5 × 10³. The method for the determination of metal ions is proposed based on the adsorption recovery of the elements followed by the direct determination by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy on the adsorbent surface.     

Nanocomposites based on modified chitosan and titanium oxide

The effect of primary amino groups and molecular mass of chitosan on the stability of suspensions based on nanoscale TiO₂ dispersions in acidic solutions of various concentrations at pH 2.5 was studied. In the case of chitosan prepared according to a commercialized process, the stability of TiO₂ suspensions was low and depended on the concentration of the polymer solution. Solutions of low-molecular-mass highly deacetylated chitosan prepared by solid-phase synthesis stabilized a dispersion of nanosized TiO₂ particles for a very long time. Nanocomposites based on a chitosan-PVA graft copolymer and TiO₂ were prepared, in which the initial filler dispersion is retained up to very high filling ratios. A potential use of these nanocomposites in photocatalytic processes is discussed. The results of this study can be used for refining engineering procedures and processes for the manufacture of new biocompatible, bioactive, and biodegradable functional composite materials based on chitosan and synthetic polymers.     

Reactions of water, dihydrogen, dinitrogen, dinitrogen oxide, methane over illuminated ultraclean graphite

Some photocatalytic reactions of different gases on ultraclean graphite have been studied by means of quadrupole mass spectrometry. With water vapor, dihydrogen, dinitrogen and dinitrogen oxide, the UV-illuminated graphite acts as a reducing agent. TPD measurements indicate that photocatalytic processes are strongly affected by adsorption-desorption equilibria.     

Transition metal complexes of bis(diphenylphosphine oxide)methane

Complexes of bis(diphenylphosphine oxide)methane with Fe(III), Ni(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) have been prepared and characterized. Experimental data are in support of chelation by the ligand to give 6-coordinate metal ions. The properties of the complexes are similar to those for the corresponding complexes of octamethylpyrophosphoramide.     

Study on the retention of uranyl ions on modified clays with titanium oxide

Four analytical techniques—instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscope energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (SEM-EDXRF), and proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE)—were evaluated in the context of air pollution biomonitoring studies. Three combinations INAA/ICP-MS, ICP-MS/PIXE and ICP-MS/SEM-EDXRF are illustrated by experimental results.     

Development of rectangular column structured titanium oxide photocatalysts anchored on silica sheets by a wet process

Commercially available powdered photocatalysts such as P-25 are known to show high photocatalytic performance. However, in practical use, their anchoring onto a substrate without any binders is still very difficult. The purpose of this study is to design and develop high-performance photocatalysts that can be anchored onto a substrate, and to this end we have prepared a titanium oxide photocatalyst using a wet process. The results of this study led to the successful development of rectangular column structured titanium oxide crystals which could be anchored onto silica sheets. The rectangular columnar crystal was 100- 500 nm wide and 1000- 5000 nm long. Moreover, investigations on the complete oxidation reaction of acetaldehyde into CO₂ and H₂O showed a high performance equivalent to that of the most efficient marketed powdered photocatalysts.     

Electrochemical approach to evaluate the mechanism of photocatalytic water splitting on oxide photocatalysts

Photoelectrochemical measurements of TiO₂, NaTaO₃, and Cr or Sb doped TiO₂ and SrTiO₃ photocatalysts were carried out in H₂ and O₂ saturated electrolytes in order to evaluate the reverse reactions during water photolysis. The poor activity of TiO₂ as a result of reverse photoreactions of O₂ reduction and H₂ oxidation was revealed with the respective high cathodic and anodic photocurrents. The rise in the photocurrents at NaTaO₃ after La doping was in harmony with the doping-induced increase in the photocatalytic activity. NiO loading suppresses the O₂ photoreverse reactions, which declines photocatalytic activity, and/or promotes the photo-oxidation of water, because the O₂ photo-reduction current was scarcely observed near the flatband potential. Photocurrents of O₂ reduction and H₂ oxidation were observed under visible light for the Cr and Sb doped SrTiO₃ and TiO₂, respectively. These phenomena are in harmony with the previous reports on the photocatalysts examined with sacrificial reagents.     

Separation of metal ions on a modified aluminium oxide

The possibility of application of a sulpho-derivative of an aromatic organic complexing agent for separation of cations on aluminium oxide has been investigated. Alumina modified with Nitroso-R salt is used for recovery of cobalt from a tap water and for selective separation of palladium from rhodium.     

Characterization of surface and photooxidative properties of supported metal oxide photocatalysts using solid-state NMR.

In situ solid-state NMR (SSNMR) methodologies have been used to investigate the surface properties and photooxidative reactivities of a number of metal oxide photocatalysts. Adsorption of ethanol on single monolayers of TiO2, SnO2, V205, and WO3 supported on porous Vycor glass results in the formation of hydrogen-bonded ethanol species and metal-bound ethoxide species. The chemical shift of the metal-bound ethoxide species varies with the metal oxide catalyst while the chemical shift of the hydrogen-bonded species is independent of the metal oxide. X-ray powder diffraction, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and SSNMR investigations of ethanol adsorption show that increasing the number of monolayers of TiO2 on the Vycor surface changes the morphology of the catalyst from amorphous at a single monolayer coverage to anatase at a four monolayer coverage. The rate of photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol, acetone, and 2-propanol also increases with increasing TiO2 monolayer coverage.     

Carbonylation of polychlorinated biphenyls over cobalt carbonyl catalyst modified with propylene oxide

The positional and substrate selectivities in the carbonylation of polychlorinated biphenyls in the catalytic system cobalt carbonyl-1,2-epoxypropane-base were studied. No direct relation was found between the degree of chlorination of the initial compounds and the reaction rate. The rate and selectivity of carbonylation are determined by radical anion mechanism of the substrate activation stage and by the presence of halogen atoms in the ortho-positions of polychlorinated biphenyl molecules.     

Protein resistance of titanium oxide surfaces modified by biologically inspired mPEG-DOPA

In the present study, we have utilized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (ELM), and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) to examine the surface adsorption and protein resistance behavior of bio-inspired polymers consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated to peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins. Peptides containing up to three residues of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), a key component of mussel adhesive proteins, were conjugated to monomethoxy-terminated PEG polymers. These mPEG-DOPA polymers were found to be highly adhesive to TiO2 surfaces, with quantitative XPS analysis providing useful insight into the binding mechanism. Additionally, the antifouling properties of immobilized PEG were reflected in the excellent resistance of mPEG-DOPA-modified TiO2 surfaces to protein adsorption. Measurements of mPEG-DOPA and human serum adsorption were related in terms of ethylene glycol (EG) surface density and serum mass adsorbed and demonstrated a threshold of approximately 15-20 EG/nm2, above which substantially little protein adsorbs. With respect to surface density of adsorbed PEG and the associated nonfouling behavior of the adlayers, strong parallels exist between the nonfouling properties of the surface-bound mPEG-DOPA polymers and PEG polymers immobilized to surfaces using other approaches. Peptide anchors containing three DOPA residues resulted in PEG surface densities higher than those achieved using several existing PEG immobilization strategies, suggesting that peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins may be useful for achieving high densities of protein-resistant polymers on surfaces.