Effect of the anchoring group (carboxylate vs phosphonate) in Ru-complex-sensitized TiO2 on hydrogen production under visible light

We synthesized six Ru-bipyridyl complexes having di-, tetra-, and hexacarboxylate (C2, C4, and C6) and di-, tetra-, and hexaphosphonate (P2, P4, and P6) as the anchoring group, prepared six different sensitized TiO2 samples by using them, and then systematically tested their visible light reactivity for hydrogen production in aqueous suspension (with EDTA as an electron donor) under lambda > 420 nm illumination. The properties and efficiencies of C- and P-complexes as a sensitizer depended on the number and kind of anchoring groups in very different ways. The adsorption of P-complexes on TiO2 is strong enough not to be hampered by the presence of competing adsorbates (EDTA), whereas that of C-complexes is significantly inhibited. As a result, P-TiO2 exhibited much higher activity for the hydrogen production than C-TiO2, although the visible light absorbing capabilities are comparable among C- and P-complexes. Among the six sensitizers, P2 was the most active one for the H2 production. The hydrogen production activities of C-TiO2 and P-TiO2 depended on the concentration of sensitizers and electron donors in different ways as well. How the sensitizing activity for hydrogen production is influenced by the anchoring group and the experimental conditions was investigated and discussed in detail. It is also notable that the effects of the anchoring group on the sensitized production of hydrogen were drastically different from those on the dye-sensitized solar cell we recently reported for the same set of six sensitizers.     

Comparison of interfacial electron transfer through carboxylate and phosphonate anchoring groups

The effects of anchoring groups on electron injection from adsorbate to nanocrystalline thin films were investigated by comparing injection kinetics through carboxylate versus phosphonate groups to TiO2 and SnO2. In the first pair of molecules, Re(LA)(CO)3Cl (ReC1A) and Re(Lp)(CO)3Cl (ReC1P), [LA=2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-bis-CH2-COOH, Lp=2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-bis-CH2-PO3H2], the anchoring groups were insulated from the bipyridine ligand by a CH2 group. In the second pair of molecules, Ru(dcbpyH2)2(NCS)2 (RuN3) and Ru(bpbpyH2)2(NCS)2 (RuN3P), [dcbpy=2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-biscarboxylic acid, bpbpy=2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-bisphosphonic acid], the anchoring groups were directly connected to the bipyridine ligands. The injection kinetics, as measured by subpicosecond IR absorption spectroscopy, showed that electron injection rates from ReC1P to both TiO2 and SnO2 were faster than those from ReC1A. The injection rates from RuN3 and RuN3P to SnO2 films were similar. On TiO2, the injection kinetics from RuN3 and RuN3P were biphasic: carboxylate group enhances the rate of the <100 fs component, but reduces the rate of the slower components. To provide insight into the effect of the anchoring groups, the electronic structures of Re-bipyridyl-Ti model clusters containing carboxylate and phosphonate anchoring groups and with and without a CH2 spacer were computed using density functional theory. With the CH2 spacer, the phosphonate group led to a stronger electronic coupling between bpy and Ti center than the carboxylate group, which accounted for the faster injection from ReC1P than ReC1A. When the anchoring groups were directly connected to the bpy ligand without the CH2 spacer, such as in RuN3 and RuN3P, their effects were 2-fold: the carboxylate group enhanced the electronic coupling of bpy pi* with TiO2 and lowered the energy of the bpy orbital. How these competing factors led to different effects on TiO2 and SnO2 and on different components of the biphasic injection kinetics were discussed.     

Visible-light induced water detoxification catalyzed by PtII dye sensitized titania

A new dye sensitization system incorporating Pt(dcbpy)Cl2 on Degussa P-25 TiO2 for the photomineralization of aqueous organic pollutants under visible light irradiation is described. The representative wastewater pollutant, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), is readily oxidized (ultimately to CO2) when the PtII dye sensitized TiO2 is exposed to visible light in the presence of dissolved O2, and the reaction is accelerated when the solution is purged with O2 gas at 1 atm. The sensitizer is regenerated during the photocatalysis; therefore, 4-CP effectively reduces the oxidized form of the surface bound dye. The experimental data are consistent with parallel oxidative decomposition pathways for 4-CP, one which operates using conduction band electrons to produce hydroxyl radicals and another where the oxidized sensitizer irreversibly oxidizes 4-CP.     

苯基磷酸联吡啶钌络合物敏化纳晶多孔TiO2薄膜电极光电性能研究

用有机光敏染料敏化半导体,通过染料分子的吸附功能基团与半导体相互作用,使染料分子与半导体表面之间建立电性耦合,进行有效的电荷转移,可以形成有机-半导体复合新型光电功能材料。联吡啶钌络合物有较强的可见光吸收、氧化还原性能可逆、氧化态稳定性高,是一类性能优越的有机光敏染料。近来许多研究发现,羧酸联吡啶钌的强吸附与TiO₂纳晶薄膜的大比表面相结合,导致光生电荷快速注入TiO₂导带达到有效的电荷分离,得到了接近100%的单色光光电流效率^[1]。为研究联吡啶钌分子的不同吸附功能基团与TiO₂纳晶薄膜表面的相互作用对提高光电性能的影响,本文报道苯基磷酸取代的联吡啶钌络合物敏化纳晶多孔TiO₂薄膜的光电性能。     

A copper(I) dye-sensitised TiO2-based system for efficient light harvesting and photoconversion of CO2 into hydrocarbon fuel

A new copper(I) complex with the ability to bind to TiO(2) was synthesised and successfully employed as a solar cell sensitizer. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the copper(I) dye-sensitised TiO(2)-based photocatalyst exhibits impressive effectiveness for the selective photoreduction of CO(2) to CH(4) under visible light.     

具有可见光响应的C、N共掺杂TiO2纳米管光催化剂的制备

为了提高二氧化钛对可见光的利用效率,采用等离子体电解方法对二氧化钛实现了C、N共掺杂.掺杂通过等离子体电解HCONH2、NaNO2、(NH2)2CO产生活性N、C实现.XPS结果表明,C、N掺杂进入了氧化钛晶格.紫外漫反射光谱分析表明,氧化钛对可见光(＞400 nm)的响应增强,其光催化降解能力也大大增强.C、N共掺杂TiO2是一种利用太阳能的理想的光催化剂.     

具有可见光响应的C、N共掺杂TiO2纳米管光催化剂的制备

为了提高二氧化钛对可见光的利用效率, 采用等离子体电解方法对二氧化钛实现了C、N共掺杂. 掺杂通过等离子体电解HCONH2、NaNO2、(NH2)2CO产生活性N、C实现. XPS结果表明, C、N掺杂进入了氧化钛晶格. 紫外漫反射光谱分析表明, 氧化钛对可见光(>400 nm)的响应增强, 其光催化降解能力也大大增强. C、N共掺杂TiO2是一种利用太阳能的理想的光催化剂.     

DFT-INDO/S modeling of new high molar extinction coefficient charge-transfer sensitizers for solar cell applications

A new ruthenium(II) complex, tetrabutylammonium [ruthenium (4-carboxylic acid-4'-carboxylate-2,2'-bipyridine)(4,4'-di(2-(3,6-dimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine)(NCS)(2)] (N945H), was synthesized and characterized by analytical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. The absorption spectrum of the N945H sensitizer is dominated by metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) transitions in the visible region, with the lowest allowed MLCT bands appearing at 25 380 and 18 180 cm(-1). The molar extinction coefficients of these bands are 34 500 and 18 900 M(-1) cm(-1), respectively, and are significantly higher when compared to than those of the standard sensitizer cis-dithiocyanatobis(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II). An INDO/S and density functional theory study of the electronic and optical properties of N945H and of N945 adsorbed on TiO(2) was performed. The calculations point out that the top three frontier-filled orbitals have essentially ruthenium 4d (t(2g) in the octahedral group) character with sizable contribution coming from the NCS ligand orbitals. Most critically the calculations reveal that, in the TiO(2)-bound N945 sensitizer, excitation directs charge into the carboxylbipyridine ligand bound to the TiO(2) surface. The photovoltaic data of the N945 sensitizer using an electrolyte containing 0.60 M butylmethylimidazolium iodide, 0.03 M I(2), 0.10 M guanidinium thiocyanate, and 0.50 M tert-butylpyridine in a mixture of acetonitrile and valeronitrile (volume ratio = 85:15) exhibited a short-circuit photocurrent density of 16.50 +/- 0.2 mA cm(-2), an open-circuit voltage of 790 +/- 30 mV, and a fill factor of 0.72 +/- 0.03, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 9.6% under standard AM (air mass) 1.5 sunlight, and demonstrated a stable performance under light and heat soaking at 80 degrees C.     

Enhanced Charge Separation Efficiency in Pyridine‐Anchored Phthalocyanine‐Sensitized Solar Cells by Linker Elongation

A series of zinc phthalocyanine sensitizers ( PcS22 – 24 ) having a pyridine anchoring group are designed and synthesized to investigate the structural dependence on performance in dye‐sensitized solar cells. The pyridine‐anchor zinc phthalocyanine sensitizer PcS23 shows 79 % incident‐photon to current‐conversion efficiency (IPCE) and 6.1 % energy conversion efficiency, which are comparable with similar phthalocyanine dyes having a carboxylic acid anchoring group. Based on DFT calculations, the high IPCE is attributed with the mixture of an excited‐state molecular orbital of the sensitizer and the orbitals of TiO₂. Between pyridine and carboxylic acid anchor dyes, opposite trends are observed in the linker‐length dependence of the IPCE. The red‐absorbing PcS23 is applied for co‐sensitization with a carboxyl‐anchor organic dye D131 that has a complementary spectral response. The site‐selective adsorption of PcS23 and D131 on the TiO₂ surface results in a panchromatic photocurrent response for the whole visible‐light region of sun light.     

具有不同Bi/Ti摩尔比的BiOI/TiO2 (A)光催化剂的结构与性能

在室温条件下通过沉积法制备了BiOI敏化纳米锐钛矿TiO₂ (A)光催化剂. 用X射线衍射(XRD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS), 光致发光(PL)光谱和紫外-可见漫反射(UV-Vis DRS)等手段对其进行了表征. 通过罗丹明B(RhB)催化降解实验评价了其光催化活性. 随BiOI含量增加, BiOI/TiO₂ (A)在370-630 nm的吸收强度增强, 吸收带边红移增加, 紫外和可见光催化活性先增加, 当BiOI含量约为1.7% (质量分数)时, 各自达到最大值, 然后随BiOI含量的进一步增加而减小. 1.7% BiOI/TiO₂ (A)的可见光活性明显高于P25, 它的紫外光活性也略高于P25. 在BiOI含量相近时, BiOI/TiO₂ (A)比BiOI/P25具有更低的光催化活性. 和TiO₂ (A)相比, 1.7% BiOI/TiO₂ (A)明显具有更高的紫外和可见光催化活性, 这归功于它在370-630 nm的强吸收、吸收带边红移明显以及光生电子和空穴的有效转移, 减少了电子-空穴对的复合.     

Visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol and phenolic compounds in aqueous suspension of pure titania: demonstrating the existence of a surface-complex-mediated path

The visible-light-induced degradation reaction of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was investigated in aqueous suspension of pure TiO2. Contrary to common expectations, 4-CP could be degraded under visible illumination (lambda > 420 nm), generating chlorides and CO2 concomitantly. The observed visible reactivity was not due to the presence of trace UV light since the visible-light-induced reactions exhibited behaviors distinguished from those of UV-induced reactions. Dichloroacetate could not be degraded under visible light, whereas it degraded with a much faster rate than 4-CP under UV irradiation. The addition of tert-butyl alcohol, a common OH radical scavenger, did not affect the visible reactivity of 4-CP, which indicates that OH radicals are not involved. Other phenolic compounds such as phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol were similarly degraded under visible light. The surface complexation between phenolic compounds and TiO2 appears to be responsible for the visible light reactivity. Diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectra showed that 4-CP adsorbed on TiO2 powder induced visible light absorption. The visible light reactivity among several TiO2 samples was apparently correlated with the surface area of TiO2. The visible-light-induced photocurrents on a TiO2 electrode could be obtained only in the presence of 4-CP. It is proposed that a direct electron transfer from surface-complexed phenol to the conduction band of TiO2 upon absorbing visible light (through ligand-to-metal charge transfer) initiates the oxidative degradation of phenolic compounds. When the surface complex formation was hindered by surface fluorination, surface platinization, and high pH, the visible-light-induced degradation of 4-CP was inhibited. The evidence of visible-light-induced reactions and the experimental conditions affecting the visible reactivity were discussed in detail.     

水热法制备铂掺杂二氧化钛及其可见光催化性能

以纳米管钛酸为前驱体,采用水热法制备了Pt掺杂TiO2样品.水热反应过程中,纳米管钛酸表面羟基与氯铂酸发生酸碱中和反应,导致反应后pH值升高;在130°C开始纳米管钛酸晶体结构由正交晶系转变为锐钛矿相TiO2.表面化学组成分析表明,掺杂的Pt主要以+2价形式存在.以丙烯为模型污染物,评价样品的可见光(λ≥420nm)光催化活性.结果表明,Pt-TiO2具有明显的可见光光催化降解丙烯的活性,其中160°C水热处理制得的Pt-TiO2活性最高.最后讨论了低温水热法Pt掺杂的形成机理及Pt-TiO2具有可见光响应的原因.     

Bidentate dicarboxylate capping groups and photosensitizers control the size of IrO2 nanoparticle catalysts for water oxidation

Dicarboxylic acid ligands (malonate, succinate, and butylmalonate) stabilize 2 nm diameter IrO2 particles synthesized by hydrolysis of aqueous IrCl(6)2- solutions. Analogous monodentate (acetate) and tridentate (citrate) carboxylate ligands, as well as phosphonate and diphosphonate ligands, are less effective as stabilizers and lead to different degrees of nanoparticle aggregation, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy. Succinate-stabilized 2 nm IrO2 particles are good catalysts for water photo-oxidation in persulfate/sensitizer solutions. Ruthenium tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) sensitizers containing malonate and succinate groups in the 4,4'-positions are also good stabilizers of 2 nm diameter IrO2 colloids. The excited-state emission of these bound succinate-terminated sensitizer molecules is efficiently quenched on a time scale of approximately 30 ns, most likely by electron transfer to Ir(IV). In 1 M persulfate solutions in pH 5.8 Na2SiF6/NaHCO3 buffer solutions, the excited-state of the bound sensitizer is quenched oxidatively on the time scale of approximately 9 ns. Electron transfer from Ir(IV) to Ru(III) occurs with a first-order rate constant of 8x10(2) s(-1), and oxygen is evolved. The turnover number for oxygen evolution under these conditions was approximately 150. The sensitizer-IrO2 diad is thus a functional catalyst for photo-oxidation of water, and may be a useful building block for overall visible light water splitting systems.     

高比表面积CuPc/TiO2纳米管复合材料的制备及其可见光光催化活性

以P25为前驱体,在碱性条件下采用水热法制备了TiO2纳米管(NT),然后通过浸渍法将敏化剂酞菁铜(CuPc)附着于TiO2NT表面,制得可见光响应的CuPc/TiO2NT复合光催化材料,并对其进行了表征,考察了它在可见光下降解罗丹明B的光催化活性.结果表明,在NaOH碱性条件下水热法制备的TiO2NT具有较大的比表面...     

Characterization of photoinduced self-exchange reactions at molecule-semiconductor interfaces by transient polarization spectroscopy: lateral intermolecular energy and hole transfer across sensitized TiO2 thin films

Transient anisotropy measurements are reported as a new spectroscopic tool for mechanistic characterization of photoinduced charge-transfer and energy-transfer self-exchange reactions at molecule-semiconductor interfaces. An anisotropic molecular subpopulation was generated by photoselection of randomly oriented Ru(II)-polypyridyl compounds, anchored to mesoscopic nanocrystalline TiO(2) or ZrO(2) thin films, with linearly polarized light. Subsequent characterization of the photoinduced dichromism change by visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies on the nano- to millisecond time scale enabled the direct comparison of competitive processes: excited-state decay vs self-exchange energy transfer, or interfacial charge recombination vs self-exchange hole transfer. Self-exchange energy transfer was found to be many orders-of-magnitude faster than hole transfer at the sensitized TiO(2) interfaces; for [Ru(dtb)(2)(dcb)](PF(6))(2), where dtb is 4,4'-(C(CH(3))(3))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine and dcb is 4,4'-(COOH)(2)-2,2'-bipyridine, anchored to TiO(2), the energy-transfer correlation time was θ(ent) = 3.3 μs while the average hole-transfer correlation time was <θ(h+)> = 110 ms, under identical experimental conditions. Monte Carlo simulations successfully modeled the anisotropy decays associated with lateral energy transfer. These mesoscopic, nanocrystalline TiO(2) thin films developed for regenerative solar cells thus function as active "antennae", harvesting sunlight and transferring energy across their surface. For the dicationic sensitizer, [Ru(dtb)(2)(dcb)](PF(6))(2), anisotropy changes indicative of self-exchange hole transfer were observed only when ions were present in the acetonitrile solution. In contrast, evidence for lateral hole transfer was observed in neat acetonitrile for a neutral sensitizer, cis-Ru(dnb)(dcb)(NCS)(2), where dnb is 4,4'-(CH(3)(CH(2))(8))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine, anchored to TiO(2). The results indicate that mechanistic models of interfacial charge recombination between electrons in TiO(2) and oxidized sensitizers must take into account diffusion of the injected electron and the oxidized sensitizer. The phenomena presented herein represent two means of concentrating potential energy derived from visible light that could be used to funnel energy to molecular catalysts for multiple-charge-transfer reactions, such as the generation of solar fuels.     

可见光响应的LaVO4/TiO2 纳米管的合成、表征及对气相甲苯的光催化性能

通过水热方法合成了可见光响应的LaVO4/TiO2纳米管, 采用XRD, TEM, 氮气吸附-脱附以及表面光电压谱对样品进行了表征. 以气相甲苯为典型污染物, 研究了制备样品在可见光(λ＞420 nm)条件下的光催化性能. 实验结果表明, LaVO4的复合使TiO2的粒径减小, 比表面积增大, 光响应范围向可见光偏移. 光催化实验结果表明, 在可见光条件下, LaVO4/TiO2纳米管降解甲苯的效率比其它样品高, 与纯TiO2纳米管相比, 降解效率提高了47%.     

Photocatalytic activity enhancement in doped titanium dioxide by crystal defects

Visible light sensitive Fe(3+) and Ce(4+) co-doped nano TiO(2) photocatalyst has been prepared by a modified aqueous sol-gel method and the activity has been measured in terms of degradation of MB dye. Both dopants shifted the absorption profile of TiO(2) to the visible region and improved activity. Fe(3+) ions trapped the charge carriers due to the stable electronic configuration and improved their separation. Ce(4+) ions, which were mainly located at the grain boundaries, cause dislocations by bending the valence and conduction bands of TiO(2) and prevent the recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes. The co-doped TiO(2) compositions exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure titania and commercially available Degussa P25 under visible light by utilising the individual and synergistic contributions of Fe(3+) and Ce(4+) dopants, respectively.     

Tetrachelate porphyrin chromophores for metal oxide semiconductor sensitization: effect of the spacer length and anchoring group position

Four Zn(II)-tetra(carboxyphenyl)porphyrins in solution and bound to metal oxide (TiO2, ZnO, and ZrO2) nanoparticle films were studied to determine the effect of the spacer length and anchoring group position (para or meta) on their binding geometry and photoelectrochemical and photophysical properties. The properties of three types of anchoring groups (COOH and COONHEt3) for four Zn(II)-porphyrins (Zn(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (p-ZnTCPP), Zn(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (m-ZnTCPP), Zn(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(3-(4-carboxyphenyl)phenyl)porphyrin (m-ZnTCP2P), and Zn(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(3-ethynyl(4-carboxyphenyl)phenyl)porphyrin (m-ZnTC(PEP)P)) were compared. In m-ZnTCPP, m-ZnTCP2P, and m-ZnTC(PEP)P the four anchoring groups are in the meta position on the meso-phenyl rings of the porphyrin macrocycle, thus favoring a planar binding mode to the metal oxide surfaces. The three meta-substituted porphyrin salts have rigid spacer units of increasing length (phenyl (P), biphenyl (P2), and diphenylethynyl (PEP)) between the porphyrin ring and the carboxy anchoring groups, thus raising the macrocycle from the metal oxide surface. All porphyrins studied here, when bound to TiO2 and ZnO, exhibited quenching of the fluorescence emission, consistent with electron injection into the conduction band of the semiconductor. Steady-state UV-vis and fluorescence studies of p-ZnTCPP on insulating ZrO2 showed evidence of aggregation and exciton coupling. This was not observed in any of the meta-substituted porphyrins. The photoelectrochemical properties (IPCE, Voc, and Isc) of the porphyrins bound to TiO2 films in solar cells have been measured and rationalized with respect to the sensitizer binding geometry and distance from the surface.     

AgBr/TiO_2异质结型复合可见光催化剂的制备及其光催化活性

以钛酸四丁酯、KBr、AgNO3为前体,合成了具有异质结结构的纳米AgBr/Ti O2复合可见光催化剂.利用XRD、TEM、HRTEM和UV-Vis等方法对催化剂的晶相组成、形貌、粒度、微观结构、吸光性能等进行了表征.光催化降解亚甲基蓝活性结果表明,复合与单组分催化剂的光催化活性顺序为:AgBr/Ti O2AgBrAg-Br/P25P25Ti O2.含光敏剂AgBr的复合及单组份催化剂由于具有对可见光的良好吸收性能而具有较高的光催化活性.对于AgBr/Ti O2光催化剂,随mAgNO3/mTi O2比的增加,光催化活性先增强后减弱,当mAgNO3/mTi O2=3.35时光催化活性最高,分析结果表明,该复合催化剂粒径约15 nm,分散均匀且形成了紧密接触的AgBr/Ti O2异质结微结构,在紫外可见区(250～800 nm)都具有最强的光吸收.     

Thermodynamic control over the competitive anchoring of N719 dye on nanocrystalline TiO2 for improving photoinduced electron generation

TiO(2) electrodes, sensitized with the N719 dye at high immersion temperatures during the sensitization process, were found to have large fractions of weakly bound N719 on the electrode surface, which resulted in dye aggregation and decreased device longevity. These disadvantages were ameliorated using a low-temperature stearic acid (SA)-assisted anchoring method described here. The activation energy (ΔE(NS)(++)) and relative fraction of strongly bound N719 were twice as large as the respective values obtained without the use of SA. Slowing of adsorption, both by thermal means and through SA-mediated processes, effectively controlled the binding mode of N719 on the surface of TiO(2). The resulting sensitized electrodes displayed enhanced device longevity and improved generation of photoinduced electrons.