Development of a panchromatic photosensitizer and its application to photocatalytic CO2 reduction

We designed and synthesized a heteroleptic osmium(ii) complex with two different tridentate ligands, Os. Os can absorb the full wavelength range of visible light owing to S–T transitions, and this was supported by TD-DFT calculations. Excitation of Os using visible light of any wavelength generates the same lowest triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited state, the lifetime of which is relatively long (τ_em = 40 ns). Since excited Os could be reductively quenched by 1,3-dimethyl-2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole, Os displays high potential as a panchromatic photosensitizer. Using a combination of Os and a ruthenium(ii) catalyst, CO₂ was photocatalytically reduced to HCOOH via irradiation with 725 nm light, and the turnover number reached 81; irradiation with light at λ_ex > 770 nm also photocatalytically induced HCOOH formation. These results clearly indicate that Os can function as a panchromatic redox photosensitizer.

The osmium(ii) complex functioned as a panchromatic photosensitizer and drove CO₂ reduction.     

Mechanistic studies of the photocatalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene with visible-light-driven N-doped TiO2 photocatalysts

Visible-light-driven TiO2 photocatalysts doped with nitrogen have been prepared as powders and thin films in a cylindrical tubular furnace under a stream of ammonia gas. The photocatalysts thus obtained were found to have a band-gap energy of 2.95 eV. Electron spin resonance (ESR) under irradiation with visible light (lambda > or = 430 nm) afforded the increase in intensity in the visible-light region. The concentration of trapped holes was about fourfold higher than that of trapped electrons. Nitrogen-doped TiO2 has been used to investigate mechanistically the photocatalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) under irradiation with visible light (lambda > or = 420 nm). Cl and O radicals, which contribute significantly to the generation of dichloroacetyl chloride (DCAC) in the photocatalytic oxidation of TCE under UV irradiation, were found to be deactivated under irradiation with visible light. As the main by-product, only phosgene was detected in the photocatalytic oxidation of TCE under irradiation with visible light. Thus, the reaction mechanism of TCE photooxidation under irradiation with visible light clearly differs markedly from that under UV irradiation. Based on the results of the present study, we propose a new reaction mechanism and adsorbed species for the photocatalytic oxidation of TCE under irradiation with visible light. The energy band for TiO2 by doping with nitrogen may involve an isolated band above the valence band.     

Effect of water during the quantitation of formate in photocatalytic studies on CO2 reduction in dimethylformamide

The effect of the water concentration on the quantitation of formate from dimethylformamide in the presence of electron-donating bases using ion chromatography is reported. This observation has important implications in the area of the photocatalytic reduction of CO(2), where formate levels are often used to calculate catalyst turnover numbers.     

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.     

Preface: Special topic on photocatalytic or electrocatalytic reduction of CO2

Science China Chemistry -     

Study on the formation of H2O2 on TiO2 photocatalysts and their activity for the photocatalytic degradation of X-GL dye

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles of both anatase and rutile phases were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of microemulsions, and their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of X-GL dye was investigated. The only difference between the two methods used was that different acids were added to the microemulsions to make a direct comparison of the photocatalytic activity of the polymorphs possible. UV — Vis reflectance and XRD spectroscopic investigations of these titanium dioxides indicated that a rutile structure could be formed (PR) when hydrochloric acid was used, and anatase formed (PA) when nitric acid was used. The activity of the two polymorphs and P-25 for the photocatalytic degradation of dye in water was also examined. It was found that P-25 consisting of anatase and rutile has the highest activity, and PR consisting of rutile has the lowest. Photodegradation of X-GL in the presence of these different TiO₂ particles under air-equilibrated controlled conditions led to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. The formation rate of H₂O₂ depended on the difference in crystalloid phase. These results indicate that the observed differences in the photocatalytic activity for the three TiO₂ photocatalysts are directly related to the formation rate of H₂O₂.     

Titanium dioxide sensitization with a biscyanine dye in the photocatalytic reduction of methylene blue

Kinetics and Catalysis - Photosensitive heterostructures containing titanium dioxide and a sensitizer, viz., a cyanine dye with two conjugated chromophores have been obtained. Their absorption...     

Role of water and carbonates in photocatalytic transformation of CO2 to CH4 on titania

Using the electron paramagnetic resonance technique, we have elucidated the multiple roles of water and carbonates in the overall photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methane over titania nanoparticles. The formation of H atoms (reduction product) and (?)OH radicals (oxidation product) from water, and CO(3)(-) radical anions (oxidation product) from carbonates, was detected in CO(2)-saturated titania aqueous dispersion under UV illumination. Additionally, methoxyl, (?)OCH(3), and methyl, (?)CH(3), radicals were identified as reaction intermediates. The two-electron, one-proton reaction proposed as an initial step in the reduction of CO(2) on the surface of TiO(2) is supported by the results of first-principles calculations.     

Selective photocatalytic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes in water by TiO2 partially coated with WO3

Semiconductor TiO₂ particles loaded with WO₃ (WO₃/TiO₂), synthesized by impregnation of tungstic acid followed by calcination, were used for photocatalytic oxidation of alcohols in water with molecular oxygen under irradiation at λ>350 nm. The WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts promote selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and show higher catalytic activity than pure TiO₂. In particular, a catalyst loading 7.6 wt % WO₃ led to higher aldehyde selectivity than previously reported photocatalytic systems. The high aldehyde selectivity arises because subsequent photocatalytic decomposition of the formed aldehyde is suppressed on the catalyst. The TiO₂ surface of the catalyst, which is active for oxidation, is partially coated by the WO₃ layer, which leads to a decrease in the amount of formed aldehyde adsorbed on the TiO₂ surface. This suppresses subsequent decomposition of the aldehyde on the TiO₂ surface and results in high aldehyde selectivity. The WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst can selectively oxidize various aromatic alcohols and is reusable without loss of catalytic activity or selectivity.     

利用光热耦合下的光电导研究TiO2光热催化还原CO2（英文）

利用太阳能缓解能源危机和解决环境污染,是当前和未来的全球性课题.其中,光催化技术的研究步伐日渐加快.这不仅体现在光催化材料种类的增加,更体现在以光催化为基础的多场协同催化,特别是光热耦合作用成为增强光催化性能的一种高效、可靠的方法.氧空位的引入不仅可以拓宽催化剂对可见光的吸收、抑制载流子的复合、促进反应物的吸附以及降低反应的活化能,而且对于光热协同催化效率的提升有着重要的贡献.然而,目前光热协同催化的表征多局限于常规的光催化手段.开展光热耦合下的测量技术对深刻理解光热催化是十分必要的.本文研究温度、气氛、氧空位浓度对TiO2光电导的影响,构建光电导与光热催化活性之间的关系.我们将商用的ST-01 TiO2制成浆料,利用丝网印刷法将浆料覆盖在刻有沟槽的FTO上,并通过N2/H2混合气不同温度退火,得到不同氧空位含量的TiO2薄膜(Ov-TiO2).采用紫外-可见光谱(UV-Vis),拉曼光谱(Raman),电子顺磁共振(ESR)等手段对样品进行了表征.结果表明,N2/H2退火温度越高,氧空位浓度越高.我们对不同浓度氧空位的样品进行了光催化及光热协同催化CO2还原实验.结果表明,适量氧空位的样品(H2-150)光催化还原CO2性能最差,但光热协同催化还原CO2的性能最佳.我们对其光电导值的衰减情况进行了分析,看到H2-150样品在CO2气氛、光热条件下,电导衰减加快.由于光电导的衰减是由电荷复合和电荷参与的表面反应共同决定的,为确定是哪一因素决定了电导的衰减,我们进一步测试了H2-150样品在N2气氛下的电导衰减情况.结果发现,H2-150样品在N2气氛、光热条件下电导衰减反而变慢.这表明,造成H2-150样品在CO2气氛、光热条件下的电导衰减加快是光热条件下CO2还原速率加快,也验证了H2-150具有较好的光热催化CO2活性.与H2-150样品不同的是,大量氧空位样品(H2-350)在CO2气氛、光热条件下电导衰减反而变慢,我们认为这是由于H2-350存在深能级缺陷,在热的作用下会将捕获的电子释放,因此延缓了光电导的衰减.但由于深能级电子的还原能力较弱,所以H2-350样品的光热CO2还原活性稍逊于H2-150.综上所述,在光热电导与光热催化相关的研究中,我们证实了在Ov-TiO2中被捕获的电子在热激发下可再次向导带弛豫,从而解释了Ov-TiO2优异的光热催化性能.因此,光热电导的研究在理解光热催化方面具有重要的前景.     

Tuning the local chemical environment of ZnSe quantum dots with dithiols towards photocatalytic CO2 reduction

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.     

Efficient homogeneous catalysis in the reduction of CO2 to CO

The well-defined copper(I) boryl complex [(IPr)Cu(Bpin)] [where IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, and pin = pinacolate: 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediolate] deoxygenates CO2 rapidly and quantitatively, affording CO and the borate complex [(IPr)Cu(OBpin)]. The boryl may be regenerated by treatment with the diboron compound pinB-Bpin, giving the stable byproduct pinB-O-Bpin. The use of a copper(I) alkoxide precatalyst and stoichiometric diboron reagent results in catalytic reduction of CO2, with high turnover numbers (1000 per Cu) and frequencies (100 per Cu in 1 h) depending on supporting ligand and reaction conditions.     

1,2-亚苯基二硫桥[FeFe]-氢化酶模拟物选择性光催化还原CO2至CO

利用基于非贵金属的分子催化剂通过光驱动催化CO2还原生成CO是将太阳能储存为化学能和缓解CO2温室效应的有效途径之一,具有重要的科学意义和潜在的应用前景.已报道的非贵金属分子催化剂,大多数对于光驱动CO2还原表现出缓慢的催化反应速率和/或对CO产物的低选择性,反应常常伴随着质子还原产氢反应,只有很少几种非贵金属分子催化剂对光催化CO2还原生成CO表现出高催化反应速率(>100 h?1)和高选择性.研究表明,双核过渡金属配合物由于分子中邻近的两个金属中心的协同催化作用,对于CO2还原生成CO的催化活性明显高于相应的单核配合物.因此,具有两个邻近的金属离子的非贵金属双核配合物有望作为CO2选择性还原的高效分子催化剂.我们最近的研究发现,具有刚性、共轭亚苯基二硫桥结构的[FeFe]-氢化酶模拟物[(μ-bdt)Fe2(CO)6](1,bdt=苯-1,2-二巯基)能够高活性、高选择性地光化学还原CO2至CO,而与其类似的模拟物[(μ-edt)Fe2(CO)6](2,edt=乙烷-1,2-巯基)则不具有光催化还原CO2活性,表明铁铁氢化酶模拟物中硫-硫桥的结构是影响模拟物的催化性能的重要结构因素之一.可见光照射1/[Ru(bpy)3]2+/BIH(BIH=1,3-二甲基-2-苯基-2,3-二氢-1H-苯并[d]-咪唑)体系4.5 h,1催化生成CO的循环数(TON)为710,在初始1 h的转化率(TOF)为7.12 min^-1,CO的选择性达到97%,内量子效率为2.8%.有趣的是,向体系中加入TEOA时可以调节1的催化选择性,光化学反应能够在CO2还原产生CO和质子还原产生H2之间进行切换.此外,采用稳态荧光和瞬态吸收光谱研究了光催化体系中的电子转移,提出可能的光催化反应机理.该研究结果揭示了刚性硫-硫桥结构的氢化酶模拟物对光化学CO2还原至CO的特殊催化活性,拓展了铁铁氢化酶模拟物的催化多功能性.     

Kinetic features of the steady state photocatalytic CO oxidation by air on TiO2

The paper reports quantum efficiency dependence of the steady state gas phase photocatalytic oxidation of CO over dispersed anatase on CO and CO₂ concentrations, temperature and UV light intensity. A tentative mechanism of the process is proposed.     

Synthesis,physical and electrochemical properties of CoMn2O4: application to photocatalytic Ni2+ reduction

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Nickel is a hazardous metal with a harmful effect on the health and environment. In this work, the photocatalytic reduction of Ni2+ was examined onto the...     

Effect of surface hydration on the photocatalytic activity of oxide catalysts in the CO oxidation

The effect of the state of hydrated surface of the bulk oxide photocatalysts, TiO₂, CeO₂, and ZnO on the rate of UV-induced oxidation of CO with atmospheric oxygen was studied. The activity of dehydroxylated catalyst samples evacuated at temperatures of >350 °C toward CO photooxidation decreases in the series CeO₂ > ZnO ≈ TiO₂, while that of partially hydrated samples after pretreatment at 20 °C changes in the order TiO₂ > ZnO ≥ CeO₂ ≈ 0. According to the results, the difference in the photocatalytic activity toward CO oxidation on the dehydrated ZnO, TiO₂, and CeO₂ catalysts is attributable to different concentrations of oxygen vacancies, which are formed more readily after high-temperature treatment on ZnO and CeO₂ and thus promote higher rate of CO photooxidation. Using a new technique for recording transmittance IR spectra, it was found that photoirradiation in the presence of adsorbed water and O₂ gives peroxides and hydroperoxides, with their concentrations decreasing in the series TiO₂ >> ZnO >> CeO₂. Most likely, these species are active intermediates of CO photooxidation with oxygen in the presence of adsorbed water. The hydrophobization effect was detected upon TiO₂ modification with zinc, resulting in removal of surface acid sites capable of adsorbing water. The TiO₂ modification with zinc increases the activity of CO photooxidation with respect to the oxidation catalyzed by samples pretreated at low temperatures (20—60 °C).     

Visible-light-sensitive photocatalytic reaction on chromium-containing mesoporous silica: selective partial oxidation of propane with molecular oxygen

The photocatalytic reactivities of chromium-containing mesoporous silica molecular sieves (Cr-HMS) under visible light irradiation have been investigated. Cr-HMS involves tetrahedral chromium oxide (Cr-oxide) moieties which are highly dispersed and incorporated in the framework of molecular sieve with two terminal Cr=O groups. In the presence of propane with molecular oxygen, a partial oxidation proceeded under visible light irradiation to produce acetone and acrolein, with high selectivity, while a complete oxidation proceeded under UV light irradiation mainly to produce CO₂. The charge-transfer excited state of the tetrahedral Cr-oxide moieties plays a significant role in the photocatalytic reactions.     

Visible-light deposition of CrOx cocatalyst on TiO2:Cr valence regulation for superior photocatalytic CO2reduction to CH4

Photodeposition is widely adopted for implanting metal/metal oxide cocatalysts on semiconductors.However,it is prerequisite that the photon energy should be sufficient to excite the host semiconductor.Here,we report a lower-energy irradiation powered deposition strategy for implanting CrO_x cocatalyst on TiO₂.Excitingly,CrO_x-400 implanted under visible-light irradiation significantly promotes the CH4 evolution rate on TiO₂to 8.4μmolg·^-1h^-1 with selectivity of98%from photocatalytic CO₂reduction,which is 15 times of that on CrO_x-200 implanted under UV-visible-light irradiation.Moreover,CrO_x-400 is identified to be composed of higher valence Cr species compared to CrO_x-200.This valence states regulation of Cr species is indicated to provide more active sites for CO₂ adsorption/activation and to modulate the reaction mechanism from single Cr site to Cr-Cr dual sites,thus endowing the superior CH₄production.This work demonstrates an alternative strategy for constructing efficient metal oxides cocatalysts on wide bandgap semiconductor.     

Effect of the TiO2 reduction state on the catalytic CO oxidation on deposited size-selected Pt clusters

The catalytic activity of deposited Pt(7) clusters has been studied as a function of the reduction state of the TiO(2)(110)-(1 × 1) support for the CO oxidation reaction. While a slightly reduced support gives rise to a high catalytic activity of the adparticles, a strongly reduced one quenches the CO oxidation. This quenching is due to thermally activated diffusion of Ti(3+) interstitials from the bulk to the surface where they deplete the oxygen adsorbed onto the clusters by the formation of TiO(x) (x ? 2) structures. This reaction is more rapid than the CO oxidation. The present results are of general relevance to heterogeneous catalysis on TiO(2)-supported metal clusters and for reactions involving oxygen as intermediate.