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

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