Preface

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Characterization of Ti-Beta zeolites and their reactivity for the photocatalytic reduction of CO_2 with H_2O

A characterization of Ti-Beta zeolites synthesized under various conditions as well as an investigation of their photocatalytic properties for the reduction of CO_2 with H_2O at 323 K to produce CH_4 and CH_3OH were carried out. In situ XAFS spectra measurements indicated that a highly dispersed tetrahedral titanium oxide species was present in the zeolite framework and an increase in the coordination number of the titanium oxide species by the addition of H_2O and CO_2 molecules could be detected. The Ti-Beta zeolite having a hydrophilic property (Ti-Beta(OH)) exhibited a more dramatic increase in the coordination number than the Ti-Beta(F) zeolite which had a hydrophobic property. These results suggest that CO_2 and H_2O molecules can be adsorbed efficiently onto the highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated titanium oxide species. UV irradiation of these Ti-Beta zeolite catalysts in the presence of H_2O and CO_2 led to the formation of CH_4 and CH_3OH. Ti-Beta(OH) exhibited a higher reactivity than Ti-Beta(F), while the selectivity for the formation of CH_3OH on Ti-Beta(F) was higher than that for Ti-Beta(OH). These results indicated that the reactivity and selectivity of the zeolite catalyst can be determined by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the zeolites

Incorporation of silver (I) ions within zeolite cavities and their photocatalytic reactivity for the decomposition of N

Ag+/ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared by an ion-exchange method. UV-irradiation of the Ag+/ZSM-5 catalysts in the presence of N2O led to the photocatalytic decomposition of N2O into N2 and O2 at 298 K. Investigations of the effective wavelength of the irradiated UV-light for the reaction as well as the in-situ characterization of the catalysts by means of UV-Vis, photoluminescence and FT-IR spectroscopies revealed that the photoexcitation of the Ag+ − N2O complexes formed between gaseous N2O and the isolated Ag+ ions exchanged within the zeolite cavities plays a significant role in the reaction

Characterization of Ti-Beta zeolites and their reactivity for the photocatalytic reduction of CO_2 with H_2O

A characterization of Ti-Beta zeolites synthesized under various conditions as well as an investigation of their photocatalytic properties for the reduction of CO_2 with H_2O at 323 K to produce CH_4 and CH_3OH were carried out. In situ XAFS spectra measurements indicated that a highly dispersed tetrahedral titanium oxide species was present in the zeolite framework and an increase in the coordination number of the titanium oxide species by the addition of H_2O and CO_2 molecules could be detected. The Ti-Beta zeolite having a hydrophilic property (Ti-Beta(OH)) exhibited a more dramatic increase in the coordination number than the Ti-Beta(F) zeolite which had a hydrophobic property. These results suggest that CO_2 and H_2O molecules can be adsorbed efficiently onto the highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated titanium oxide species. UV irradiation of these Ti-Beta zeolite catalysts in the presence of H_2O and CO_2 led to the formation of CH_4 and CH_3OH. Ti-Beta(OH) exhibited a higher reactivity than Ti-Beta(F), while the selectivity for the formation of CH_3OH on Ti-Beta(F) was higher than that for Ti-Beta(OH). These results indicated that the reactivity and selectivity of the zeolite catalyst can be determined by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the zeolites

Experimental and theoretical investigation of ligand effects on the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles with highly controllable particle sizes(less than 10 nm) were synthesized using organic capping ligands in Zn(Ac)2 ethanolic solution. The molecular structure of the ligands was found to have significant influence on the particle size. The multi-functional molecule tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane (THMA) favoured smaller particle distributions compared with ligands possessing long hydrocarbon chains that are more frequently employed. The adsorption of capping ligands on ZnnOn crystal nuclei (where n = 4 or 18 molecular clusters of(0001) ZnO surfaces) was modelled by ab initio methods at the density functional theory (DFT) level. For the molecules examined, chemisorption proceeded via the formation of Zn...O, Zn...N, or Zn...S chemical bonds between the ligands and active Zn2+ sites on ZnO surfaces. The DFT results indicated that THMA binds more strongly to the ZnO surface than other ligands, suggesting that this molecule is very effective at stabilizing ZnO nanoparticle surfaces. This study, therefore, provides new insight into the correlation between the molecular structure of capping ligands and the morphology of metal oxide nanostructures formed in their presence

High-performance potassium poly(heptazine imide) films for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is an appealing approach by which to convert solar energy into hydrogen fuel. Polymeric semiconductors have recently attracted intense interest of many scientists for PEC water splitting. The crystallinity of polymer films is regarded as the main factor that determines the conversion efficiency. Herein, potassium poly(heptazine) imide (K-PHI) films with improved crystallinity were in situ prepared on a conductive substrate as a photoanode for solar-driven water splitting. A remarkable photocurrent density of ca. 0.80 mA cm-2 was achieved under air mass 1.5 global illumination without the use of any sacrificial agent, a performance that is ca. 20 times higher than that of the photoanode in an amorphous state, and higher than those of other related polymeric photoanodes. The boosted performance can be attributed to improved charge transfer, which has been investigated using steady state and operando approaches. This work elucidates the pivotal importance of the crystallinity of conjugated polymer semiconductors for PEC water splitting and other advanced photocatalytic applications

Solar light photocatalytic CO2 reduction: general considerations and selected bench-mark photocatalysts

[EN] The reduction of carbon dioxide to useful chemicals has received a great deal of attention as an alternative to the depletion of fossil resources without altering the atmospheric CO2 balance. As the chemical reduction of CO2 is energetically uphill due to its remarkable thermodynamic stability, this process requires a significant transfer of energy. Achievements in the fields of photocatalysis during the last decade sparked increased interest in the possibility of using sunlight to reduce CO2. In this review we discuss some general features associated with the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 for the production of solar fuels, with considerations to be taken into account of the photocatalyst design, of the limitations arising from the lack of visible light response of titania, of the use of co-catalysts to overcome this shortcoming, together with several strategies that have been applied to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of CO2 reduction. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive review of the area, but to present general aspects to be considered, and then to outline which are currently the most efficient photocatalytic systems.Financial support by the Marie Curie project PIEF-GA-2011-298740 and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo 20121013) is gratefully acknowledged. J.A.M.-A. acknowledges the assistance of the CSIC for their award of a Postdoctoral JAE-Doc contract.Neatu, S.; Maciá Agulló, JA.; García Gómez, H. (2014). Solar light photocatalytic CO2 reduction: general considerations and selected bench-mark photocatalysts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 15(4):5246-5262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms15045246S5246526215