The role of n–p junction electrodes in minimizing the charge recombination and enhancement of photocurrent and photovoltage in dye sensitized solar cells

The composite electrode comprising n-type TiO₂ and p-type NiO oxides when sensitized with Ru-dye showed short-circuit photocurrent (I_sc) of 17 mA/cm² and open-circuit photovoltage (V_oc) of 730 mV compared to I_sc of 12 mA/cm² and 700 mV for TiO₂ electrodes. Formation of a n–p junction between TiO₂ and NiO oxide layers contributes to the enhanced photocurrent, photovoltage, fill factor and efficiency. In addition to the junction effect, NiO acts as a barrier for charge recombination leading to higher cell performance. The efficiency of the NiO coated TiO₂ solar cell is 30% more than that of bare TiO₂. The negative shift of the flat-band potential of the NiO coated TiO₂ electrode compared to TiO₂ also could be one of the reasons for higher photovoltage observed for TiO₂/NiO electrode. The highest cell efficiencies were obtained immersing TiO₂ thin films in Ni²⁺ solution and converting them to NiO by firing and the optimum NiO coating thickness was found to be only a few angstroms. The energy levels of the excited dye and the band positions of TiO₂ and NiO suggest that the electron transfer from the excited dye to the underlying n-type oxide layer occurs by tunneling through the p-type NiO layer.     

在TiO2纳米阵列上电沉积RuO2用于CO2电还原

传统上,RuO₂/TiO₂复合电极制备是通过在TiO₂/Ti基体上多次涂覆含Ru前驱体溶液和随后热分解（TD）来实现的. 为克服上述方法中Ru用量大和利用率低之不足, 本工作主要基于循环伏安法（CV）在TiO₂纳米管阵列（TNA）上电沉积RuO₂制备RuO₂^CV/TNA复合电极. SEM、GIXRD和CV结果表明, 电沉积的RuO₂为无定型结构, 所制备电极中的Ru用量约为传统的RuO₂^TD/TNA电极中Ru用量的1/30. 尽管两电极催化CO₂还原产物的法拉第效率接近, 但是RuO₂^CV/TNA电极比RuO₂^TD/TNA电极展示了更高的还原电流, 较正的初始还原电位和更好的稳定性. 与磷酸盐缓冲溶液中电还原CO₂相比,RuO₂^CV/TNA电极在0.1 mol•L^-1 KHCO₃中电还原CO₂除生成更高法拉第效率的甲酸根和甲烷外,还检测到CO的生成.     

TiO_2纳米管电极上电化学还原CO_2生成CH_3OH

采用原位阳极氧化-煅烧法制备TiO_2纳米管(TiO_2NTs)电极,运用X射线衍射(XRD)、电场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、双电位阶跃测试等对制备电极进行表征,考察了其在0.1mol?L~(-1) KHCO_3水溶液中电化学还原CO_2的催化活性。结果表明TiO_2NTs电极上电化学还原CO_2的主产物为CH_3OH,CH_3OH由HCOOH和HCHO进一步还原而来。电极制备的最佳煅烧温度为450℃(TiO_2NTs-450),电解电位-0.56 V(vs RHE(可逆氢电极))时反应120 min后,生成CH_3OH的法拉第效率和分电流密度分别为85.8%和0.2 m A?cm~(-2)。与550和650℃煅烧的电极相比,TiO_2NTs-450电极具有更高的催化活性,归因于电极表面更多的三价钛活性位,有利于CO_2吸附,从而对·CO_2-起到稳定的作用,速率控制步骤转变为·CO_2-的质子化反应。     

Study on K+/H+ Exchange for K2O·4TiO2

Potassium tetratitanate (K₂O·4TiO₂) is an artificial mineral whisker with the diameter of 0.5-1 μm and the length 5-20 μm. The interlayered potassium ion exchange reaction for the K₂O·4TiO₂ whisker results in the appearance of many new nonstoichiometric metal titanate whiskers M₂O·nTiO₂ (M are K, H, Na, Cs, Ba, Ru, Co or Pb, etc.). Through the K⁺-H₃O⁺ exchange in solutions,TiO₂ and K₂O·6TiO₂ whiskers were synthesized. Generally, the target product quality and yield are greatly affected by the ion exchange conditions. The optimal synthetic conditions are difficult to obtain. In this paper, a new method was proposed to control the ion-exchange process by applying the ion-exchange reaction thermodynamics and combining with monitoring the multi-ions concentrations with ISE. Ion-exchange thermodynamic model for potassium tetratitanate whisker (K₂O·4TiO₂) was established, and model parameters were calculated through the existent experimental equilibrium data. Ion selective electrode achieved the on-line monitor for K⁺/H⁺ exchange and the equilibrium point was judged. The calculation for the accurate ion concentration was done through the Pitzer equation. Based on the proposed method, the ion-exchange process was controlled and the optimal synthesis conditions could be obtained.     

Stabilization mechanism of TiO2 on flexible fluorocarbon films as a functional photocatalyst

The repetitive discoloration kinetics of the azo-dye Methyl Orange (taken as a model organic compound) was followed under solar simulated radiation (90 mW/cm²) to assess the performance of the TiO₂/Tedlar^® composite photocatalyst. The influence of solution parameters on the photo-discoloration process: pH, dye concentration, applied light intensity and concentration of H₂O₂ were systematically investigated. During the photocatalysis a modification occurs in the TiO₂/Tedlar^® composite due to the TiO₂ interaction with the Tedlar^® film. Physical insight is given for the stabilization mechanism of the TiO₂ particles in the Tedlar matrix based on the data obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The F 1s peak of the Tedlar film indicates that the TiO₂ is loaded on the Tedlar fluoro-groups. The loading of TiO₂ on the 75 μm thick Tedlar^® film was 0.9% (w/w) as determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATRIR) shows no formation of additional bands within the photodiscoloration reaction. This shows that an efficient catalysis taking place on the TiO₂/Tedlar^® surface. The rugosity (mean square roughness, rms) of the TiO₂/Tedlar^® film was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to be 19.7 nm. This value remained constant during long-term operation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reports the thickness and coverage of TiO₂ Degussa P-25 on the Tedlar^® surface before and after photocatalysis.     

Photoelectro-synergistic catalysis combined with a FIA system application on determination of chemical oxygen demand

In this paper, photoelectro-synergistic catalysis oxidation of organics in the water on Ti/TiO₂/PbO₂ electrode was investigated. The prepared TiO₂ film was investigated with Atomic force micrograph (AFM). Furthermore, the results were compared with those obtained from electrocatalysis (EC) and electro-assisted photocatalysis (PC). The method proposed employed photoelectro-synergistic catalysis (PEC), together with flow injection analysis, to determine the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. It was shown that the method of photoelectro-synergistic catalysis had lower detection limit (15.0 mg l⁻¹) and wider linear range (30.0–2500.0 mg l⁻¹) than the methods of electro-assisted photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. The results obtained by the proposed method and conventional one were compared by carrying out the experiment on 20 wastewater samples and also agreed well by high correlation (R = 0.9912).     

Electron transfer of quinone self-assembled monolayers on a gold electrode

Dialkyl disulfide-linked naphthoquinone, (NQ-C_n-S)₂, and anthraquinone, (AQ-C_n-S)₂, derivatives with different spacer alkyl chains (C_n: n = 2, 6, 12) were synthesized and these quinone derivatives were self-assembled on a gold electrode. The formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these derivatives on a gold electrode was confirmed by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IR-RAS). Electron transfer between the derivatives and the gold electrode was studied by cyclic voltammetry. On the cyclic voltammogram a reversible redox reaction between quinone (Q) and hydroquinone (QH₂) was clearly observed under an aqueous condition. The formal potentials for NQ and AQ derivatives were −0.48 and −0.58 V, respectively, that did not depend on the spacer length. The oxidation and reduction peak currents were strongly dependent on the spacer alkyl chain length. The redox behavior of quinone derivatives depended on the pH condition of the buffer solution. The pH dependence was in agreement with a theoretical value of E_1/2 (mV) = E′ − 59pH for 2H⁺/2e⁻ process in the pH range 3–11. In the range higher than pH 11, the value was estimated with E_1/2 (mV) = E′ − 30pH , which may correspond to H⁺/2e⁻ process. The tunneling barrier coefficients (β) for NQ and AQ SAMs were determined to be 0.12 and 0.73 per methylene group (CH₂), respectively. Comparison of the structures and the alkyl chain length of quinones derivatives on these electron transfers on the electrode is made.     

Ti/TiO_2纳米管阵列/PbO_2-Pr电极制备及在电氧化有机废水中应用

以二氧化钛纳米管阵列(TiO_2NTs)为基体,利用脉冲电沉积的方法将Pr掺杂的PbO_2修饰到TiO_2NTs管中,制备出新型电极材料Ti/TiO_2NTs/nanoPbO_2-Pr用来降解有机废水。通过循环伏安测试(CV)和线性伏安法(LSV)等手段对电极性能进行评估,研究表明,新型电极材料Ti/TiO_2NTs/nanoPbO_2-Pr具有高的电催化活性。利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等对其进行表面形貌、晶形结构和元素组成进行研究。结果表明,通过脉冲电沉积成功将Pr-PbO_2沉积到TiO_2纳米管中,其中元素Pr是以Pr_2O_3形式存在。亚甲基蓝降解实验证明,Ti/TiO_2NTs/nanoPbO_2-Pr电极降解120min后亚甲基蓝的去除率高达99.8%。     

基于催化发卡自组装和 Ru(NH3)63+ 的核酸光电化学灵敏分析

基于催化发卡自组装反应（CHA）和电活性材料[Ru(NH₃)₆]Cl₃,发展了一种“信号增强”型光电化学生物传感器,实现了核酸的灵敏检测. 首先,采用逐层离子吸附法（SILAR）将CdS 固定于TiO₂/ITO 电极表面. 光电材料CdS 不仅能够将TiO₂ 的吸收范围从紫外光区拓展到可见光区,而且还能提高光电转换效率. 之后,通过Cd-S 键将捕获DNA（C-DNA）固定于CdS/ TiO₂/ITO 电极表面. 与此同时,将Au 结合的发卡DNA 探针1（Au-HP1）,发卡DNA 探针2（HP2）和目标DNA（T-DNA）混合物于溶液中进行CHA 反应,得到大量的Au-HP1:HP2 复合物. 再通过Au-HP1:HP2 复合物与C-DNA 的杂交反应将大量的双链DNA 引入到电极表面. 最后,将电活性物质Ru(NH₃)₆³⁺嵌入DNA 的磷酸骨架中,从而使得光电流大幅度的增强. 该光电生物传感器检测核酸的线性范围为10 fmol·L^-1 到 1500 fmol·L^-1,检测线为6.19 fmol·L^-1,在生物分析、新药筛选以及疾病的早期诊断等方面具有潜在的应用前景.     

Cation selectivity of ionophores based on tripodal thiazole derivatives on benzene scaffold

The synthesis and potentiometric evaluation of new 1,3,5-tris(thiazolylcarbethoxy)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (3), 1,3,5-tris(thiazolylhydroxy)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (4), 1,3,5-tris(thiazolylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (5), and 1,3,5-tris(thiazolylphenyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (6), toward mono and divalent cations under various pH conditions are outlined. The ion-selective properties of the newly synthesized compounds were studied by measuring the potentiometric responses of the 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-based membrane electrodes to alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, and transition metal ions, under various pH conditions. The 3-based electrode exhibited a Nernstian response to ammonium and potassium under alkaline pH conditions, while the other three electrodes showed a poor potentiometric performance. All electrodes showed substantial responses to silver ion under acidic condition, but there was almost nil response to other transition metal ions (Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺). The 3- and 5-based electrodes resulted in near Nernstian responses (51.3 mV and 59.5 mV/pAg⁺, respectively) with low detection limits (100 ppt), while the 4- and 6-based ones showed sub-Nernstian below 40 mV/pAg⁺. The results were interpreted with semi-empirically modeled structures.     

The effect of lanthanide on the degradation of RB in nanocrystalline Ln/TiO2 aqueous solution

A series of Nd³⁺, Pr³⁺, Er³⁺, and Dy³⁺ (0.25–5 at.%) homogeneously doped nanocrystalline titanium dioxides (Ln/TiO₂) were prepared by an easy sol–gel technique, and the roles of lanthanide doping on the photocatalytic activity in the degradation of rhodamine B (RB) in aqueous solution were studied. Both the concentration of the lanthanide dopant and calcination temperature showed significant effect to the photodegradation of RB. The photocatalytic activity of pure titania was drastically decreased when calcination temperature was at 700 °C, while the high photocatalytic activity was still maintained for lanthanide-doped samples. HPLC-MS method was used to study the degradation process, and it is demonstrated that the degradation of RB catalyzed by Ln/TiO₂ was principally go through with a stepwise de-ethylation photochemical process.     

TiO_2掺杂CuMnCe/Al_2O_3催化剂对甲烷催化燃烧脱氧反应的影响

以掺杂了不同TiO_2含量的Al_2O_3作为载体,通过等体积浸渍法制备了一系列不同TiO_2含量的CuMnCe/TiO_2-Al_2O_3催化剂,用BET、H_2-TPR、XRD和XPS表征技术对催化剂物理化学性质进行表征,并考察了催化剂在含甲烷气脱氧反应中的催化性能。结果表明,在载体中添加TiO_2对催化剂活性组分的晶相结构和分散度没有明显影响;但有效改善了Al_2O_3载体抗烧结能力;增加了CuMnCe/Al_2O_3催化剂表面Ce~(3+)/(Ce~(3+)+Ce~(4+))的相对含量,从而提高了活性氧的移动性,且使催化剂表面可氧化还原物种含量和表面吸附氧Osur/(Osur+Olatt)的含量增多。有效改善了催化剂在含甲烷气催化燃烧脱氧上的催化活性。其中,CuMnCe/4%TiO_2-Al_2O_3表现出最优的催化活性,在387℃时可使含甲烷气中氧气的转化率达到100%。     

叶绿素敏化二氧化钛纳米管电极光电性能及其增强机理

为了研究叶绿素的敏化机理,本文以菠菜叶片叶绿素的乙醇浸提液敏化纳米管TiO_2电极,在Na2SO4水溶液电解液中测定其光电性能。敏化电极的光电流响应曲线显示,叶绿素浸提液敏化纳米管TiO_2电极时会显著改变电极的光电流值,而敏化Ti电极时则产生光电流极小。电极的循环伏安曲线则表明,叶绿素浸提液使电极上的氧化反应更容易发生。测定不同浓度的叶绿素浸提液敏化纳米管TiO_2电极的单色光光电转化效率(IPCE)图谱,结果表明,合适的叶绿素浓度(7.123~71.23μg/L)使电极IPCE平均增加2倍以上,但浓度增大至7123μg/L时,其敏化电极IPCE则明显降低;同时发现叶绿素的敏化作用未明显改变TiO_2电极IPCE图谱的特征谱峰位置。根据实验数据和结果,得出在水溶液中叶绿素改变纳米管TiO_2光电性能的机理,主要是通过叶绿素分子与TiO_2电极中的光生空穴发生反应,进而减少光生电子与空穴的复合,使电极有效光生电子数量增加,光电流密度增大,最终提高TiO_2电极的IPCE。     

钾掺杂g-C3N4薄膜光阳极的制备及光电催化氧化降解水中双氯芬酸钠性能

兼具高光学质量和电化学性能的薄膜光电极难以制备, 限制了光电催化氧化技术在水处理中的的应用. 本文采用原位煅烧法制备了负载在氧化铟锡(ITO)玻璃上的石墨相氮化碳(g-C₃N₄)薄膜电极, 并通过掺杂K⁺提高其光电催化氧化性能; 对电极进行了表征, 研究了其光电催化氧化降解水中双氯芬酸钠(DCF)的效率及降解路径. 结果表明, 原位煅烧法能制备出高质量的K⁺/g-C₃N₄薄膜光电极, K⁺的掺杂并未明显改变电极上g-C₃N₄的晶型、 价态和多孔形貌, 但可以提高ITO玻璃上g-C₃N₄的负载量, 增强电极对可见光的响应; K⁺的最佳掺杂浓度为0.002 mol/L, K⁺/g-C₃N₄薄膜电极光电催化氧化降解DCF的速率常数是纯g-C₃N₄薄膜电极的1.86倍; 当初始pH值为4, 电压为1 V, 光源强度为0.96 W/cm², 反应2 h后水中DCF降解率达到70%. K⁺/g-C₃N₄薄膜电极光电催化氧化过程中, 光催化氧化和电化学氧化之间存在协同作用, 两者相互增强, 并提高了反应过程中光生 空穴(h⁺)和羟基自由基(·OH)浓度, 在这两种活性物质作用下, 水中DCF分别被h⁺氧化生成咔唑衍生物、 与·OH发生加成反应生成多羟基芳香化合物, 最后开环生成小分子物质.     

基于PbS QDs/TiO2 NPs构建新型谷胱甘肽光电化学传感器

通过高温煅烧将二氧化钛纳米颗粒(TiO₂ NPs)修饰到ITO电极表面制成TiO₂ NPs/ITO电极, 再采用连续离子层吸附反应(SILAR)循环将硫化铅量子点(PbS QDs)修饰到TiO₂/ITO电极表面制得PbS QDs/TiO₂ NPs/ITO电极, 并将该电极应用于检测谷胱甘肽(GSH)的光电化学传感器. 在该传感器中, 当PbS QDs受470 nm可见光的激发时将产生电子(e)和光生空穴(h ⁺), 光生空穴可被溶液中的GSH捕获, 并将GSH氧化成GSSH, 有效避免电子和空穴的复合, 显著提高了光电效率. 该传感器对GSH的检测具有较高的灵敏度和选择性, 线性检测范围为0.06~1 mmol/L, 检出限(LOD)为4.6×10 ^-3 mmol/L(S/N=3).     

C/Cr2O3/TiO2复合材料的制备及其光催化性能研究

本文以制革含铬革屑为原材料,基于矿物鞣剂复鞣的原理,将Ti(IV)均匀、稳定地负载到含铬革屑上,在氮气氛围下,经高温热解制备得到C/Cr₂O₃/TiO₂光催化剂,并研究了其对四环素(TC)的光催化降解效果及机理。结果表明,C/Cr₂O₃/TiO₂光催化剂具有明显的介孔结构,比表面积较大,为277.47 m²·g^-1,Cr₂O₃和TiO₂已实现复合并负载在生物炭(C)上。通过光催化降解发现,在模拟自然光照下,当催化剂用量为0.04 g,TC初始浓度为50 mg·L^-1,溶液pH为2时,TC的去除率可高达99.99%。结合自由基捕获实验发现,C/Cr₂O₃/TiO₂光催化剂对TC的降解作用主要依靠反应体系中产生的大量·O₂^-,·OH和h⁺。     

偏压控制Cu2O和Cu在TiO2表面的生长及其光电化学性质

基于TiO2/Ti电极在含Cu2+溶液中的循环伏安图,调节电沉积的沉积电压,我们在TiO2平整表面制备出Cu2O和/或Cu颗粒.通过扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)表征,发现Cu2O和Cu有不同的生长机制:Cu2O颗粒在TiO2表面分散结晶,而Cu颗粒是在已生长的颗粒上成核,从而形成堆积颗粒结构.这是由于在Cu2O/TiO2界面和Cu/TiO2界面形成不同的能带结构,使得电子的转移方式不同.与纯TiO2光阳极比较,可以观察到Cu2O/TiO2和Cu/TiO2异质结构的光电流均有显著增强.特别地,存在一个电压区间使得Cu2O和Cu同时生长在TiO2表面,此时对应的光电流比较稳定并且能达到最大.紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱、电化学阻抗谱(EIS)和光电流-电压特性曲线均显示,Cu2O和Cu明显有助于光的可见光吸收,同时Cu/TiO2在光电转换过程中显示更宽波段的可见光利用率.此外,开路电压的增加、有效的电荷分离和电极/电解质界面上载流子的快速迁移也增强了材料的光电化学性质.     

EPR study of the radicals formed upon UV irradiation of ceria-based photocatalysts

EPR measurements reveal remarkable differences on the type of radicals produced after UV illumination of TiO₂, CeO₂ and 0.8% CeO₂/TiO₂ photocatalysts. Photoactivation of the TiO₂ sample in vacuum results in the formation of Ti⁴⁺–O⁻ species and a small amount of Ti³⁺ centers. In the presence of adsorbed oxygen, irradiation of this material also generates Ti⁴⁺–O₃⁻ radicals. In the case of the CeO₂/TiO₂ catalyst, the ceria component is present in a highly dispersed state, as indicated by XRD and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) results. Accordingly, the only type of Ce⁴⁺–O₂⁻ adducts generated on the CeO₂/TiO₂ sample are indicative of the presence of two-dimensional patches of ceria on the anatase surface. On the other hand, photoactivation of the CeO₂/TiO₂ sample in the presence of oxygen also leads to the formation of some Ti⁴⁺–O⁻ and Ti³⁺ centers. In the case of the CeO₂ sample, superoxide radicals are observed upon irradiation in vacuum and subsequent oxygen adsorption. Further irradiation of this material in the presence of oxygen increases the amount of Ce⁴⁺–O₂⁻ radicals and simultaneously generates new species, which are tentatively assigned to Ce⁴⁺–O₂H radicals. Photocatalytic activity was tested for toluene oxidation, and the results obtained show that the photodegradation rate is slightly lower for CeO₂/TiO₂ than for the TiO₂ sample. However, the selectivity towards benzaldehyde (6–13%) is comparable for both materials. In the case of CeO₂, the photo-oxidation rate is an order of magnitude lower than for TiO₂, although mineralization of toluene is almost complete. Photoactivity results are discussed in connection with the characteristics of the radicals observed.     

Modification of TiO2 Microporous Electrode with Chemical Bath Deposited Quantum-Size CdSe Particles

The transparent titanium dioxide (TiO₂) electrodes have been modified with cadmium selenite (CdSe) particles by means of chemical deposition method. The sensitization of TiO₂ electrode with CdSe particles extends both the optical absorption spectrum and photocurrent action spectrum into the visible region. Furthermore, compared with CdSe bulk materials, a blue shift up to 0.24 eV in both absorption spectrum and photocurrent action spectrum of CdSe/TiO₂ electrode was observed and explained in terms of quantum-size effect.     

Electrochemical and gas-phase photocatalytic performance of nanostructured TiO2(B) prepared by novel synthetic route

Nanostructured phase pure TiO₂(B) with microfibrous morphology was synthesized by newly developed protocol employing amorphous TiO₂ as a precursor. Compared to traditional syntheses from K₂Ti₄O₉, the new product exhibited better electrochemical performance and stability. Cyclic voltammetry of Li-insertion into the TiO₂(B) evidences a pseudocapacitive faradaic process of Li accommodation which is basically different from the diffusion-controlled lithium storage in anatase or rutile. The presence of two pairs of peaks in cyclic voltammogram with formal potentials of ca. 1.5 and 1.6 V is specific for TiO₂(B). This enables to use cyclic voltammetry for identification of this phase in a broad palette of TiO₂ materials of various origin.

The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂(B) in a gas phase was evaluated using the total oxidation of propane with oxygen and the photocatalytic reduction of NO to N₂ in an oxygen rich gas mixture. For the total oxidation of propane in the gas mixture containing 300 ppm propane and 20% oxygen, the reaction rates per 1 m²/g of the BET surface area of the catalyst for TiO₂(B) prepared by our protocol and Hombifine N (anatase, S_BET = 300 m²/g) are comparable. For the photocatalytic NO reduction to N₂ in an atmosphere containing 20% oxygen the ratio of quantum yields for TiO₂(B) and Hombifine N was found to be 0.08, which is roughly equivalent to the ratio of their BET surface areas (0.09), despite different phase composition of both materials. In comparison with the standard catalyst our material exhibited higher selectivity in the reduction of NO to N₂.