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- Huerta-Flores, Ali M., et al.
(author)
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Extended visible light harvesting and boosted charge carrier dynamics in heterostructured zirconate-FeS2 photocatalysts for efficient solar water splitting
- 2018
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In: Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-482X .- 0957-4522. ; 29:22, s. 18957-18970
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Limited visible light absorption, slow charge transference, and high recombination are some of the main problems associated with low efficiency in photocatalytic processes. For these reasons, in the present work, we develope novel zirconate-FeS2 heterostructured photocatalysts with improved visible light harvesting, effective charge separation and high photocatalytic water splitting performance. Herein, alkali and alkaline earth metal zirconates are prepared by a solid state reaction and coupled to FeS2 through a simple wet impregnation method. The incorporation of FeS2 particles induces visible light absorption and electron injection in zirconates, while the appropriate coupling of the semiconductors in the heterostructure allows an enhanced charge separation and suppression of the recombination. The obtained heterostructures exhibit high and stable photocatalytic activity for water splitting under visible light, showing competitive efficiencies among other reported materials. The highest hydrogen evolution rate (4490 mu molg(-1)h(-1)) is shown for BaZrO3-FeS2 and corresponds to more than 20 times the activity of the bare BaZrO3. In summary, this work proposes novel visible light active heterostructures for efficient visible light photocatalytic water splitting.
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2. |
- Huerta-Flores, Ali M., et al.
(author)
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Green synthesis of earth-abundant metal sulfides (FeS2, CuS, and NiS2) and their use as visible-light active photocatalysts for H2 generation and dye removal
- 2018
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In: Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-482X .- 0957-4522. ; 29:13, s. 11613-11626
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Earth-abundant metal sulfides (for example, FeS2, CuS, and NiS2) are promising materials to be used as photocatalysts due to their suitable electronic and optical properties. In this work, we present a fast and low-cost hydrothermal method to synthesize these materials. They are integrally characterized and evaluated as photocatalysts for the H2evolution reaction and the degradation of indigo carmine (IC). FeS2exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency (32 µmol g−1 h−1of H2evolution and 88% of indigo carmine degradation) under visible light, and this activity is attributed to a larger crystallite size, smaller particle size, and lower recombination, compared to CuS and NiS2. Moreover, three different sacrificial reagents are studied for the H2evolution reaction, including Na2S/Na2SO3, EDTA, and ethanol. Na2S/Na2SO3shows the highest enhancement in the activity, increasing the rate of H2production more than 15 times. This behavior is related to the lower oxidation potential of Na2S/Na2SO3. Moreover, we evaluate the activity of the materials for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In summary, this work provides valuable information for effective applications of these earth-abundant metal sulfides for energy and environmental photocatalytic processes.
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3. |
- Pinedo-Escobar, José Alfonso, et al.
(author)
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Nanoparticulate Double-Heterojunction Photocatalysts Comprising TiO2(Anatase)/WO3/TiO2(Rutile) with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity toward the Degradation of Methyl Orange under Near-Ultraviolet and Visible Light
- 2021
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In: ACS Omega. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2470-1343. ; 6:18, s. 11840-11848
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nanoparticulate double-heterojunction photocatalysts comprising TiO2(Anatase)/WO3/TiO2(Rutile) were produced by a sol–gel method. The resulting photocatalysts exhibit clear synergistic effects when tested toward the degradation of methyl orange under both UV and visible light. Kinetic studies indicate that the degradation rate on the best double-heterojunction photocatalyst (10 wt % WO3-TiO2) depends mainly on the amount of dye concentration, contrary to pure oxides in which the degradation rate is limited by diffusion-controlled processes. The synergistic effects were confirmed through systematic and careful studies including holes and OH radical formation, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, elemental analysis, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and surface area analysis. Our results indicate that the successful formation of a double heterojunction in the TiO2(Anatase)/WO3/TiO2(Rutile) system leads to enhanced photoactivity when compared to individual oxides and commercial TiO2 P25.
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