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Xie JQ, Ji D, Chang Z, Wu Y, Lv Q, Liu X, Shi L. Synergy of P doping and crystallinity modulation in carbon nitride for enhancing photocatalytic uranyl reduction. J Colloid Interface Sci 2025; 678:63-76. [PMID: 39180849 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Doping modification is a useful way to promote the catalytic activity of carbon nitride (CN). However, most doped CNs have lower structural symmetry and several edge defects, which hinder the transfer of charge carriers. This work reports a P-doped crystalline carbon nitride (crystalline PCN) for the efficient photoreduction of uranyl. The thermal polymerization and salt post-treatment convert the amorphous PCN into crystalline PCN. Compared to the pristine CN, the crystalline PCN has over 1620 % higher activity for uranyl (U(VI)) reduction, reaching a 97.8 % reduction rate in 60 min. Furthermore, the 2-PCN shows excellent stability and a U(VI) removal efficiency >85.7 % in the pH range of 5-8. Characterization analysis reveal that both the P doping and crystalline modulation do not obviously change their morphology, light absorption property and energy band structure, but markedly promote the delocalization of electrons around the doped P atoms, thereby severely inhibit direct electron-hole recombination. Thus, the more efficient separation of charge carriers generates more reactive specials to participate in the photocatalytic uranyl reduction reaction. This study demonstrates a dual-modification strategy for the rational synthesis of highly active metal-free CN-based photocatalysts for uranyl reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Qi Xie
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Daozhuo Ji
- School of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ziyang Chang
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yuhong Wu
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Qiqi Lv
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Xiaokang Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Lang Shi
- Hunan Key Laboratory for the Design and Application of Actinide Complexes, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
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2
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Hellmann A, Neusser G, Daboss S, Elnagar MM, Liessem J, Mitoraj D, Beranek R, Arbault S, Kranz C. Pt-Black-Modified (Hemi)spherical AFM Sensors: In Situ Imaging of Light-Driven Hydrogen Peroxide Evolution. Anal Chem 2024; 96:3308-3317. [PMID: 38354051 PMCID: PMC10902814 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
In this work, we present (hemi)spherical atomic force microscopy (AFM) sensors for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. Platinum-black (Pt-B) was electrodeposited onto conductive colloidal AFM probes or directly at recessed microelectrodes located at the end of a tipless cantilever, resulting in electrocatalytically active cantilever-based sensors that have a small geometric area but, due to the porosity of the films, exhibit a large electroactive surface area. Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy tomography revealed the porous 3D structure of the deposited Pt-B. Given the accurate positioning capability of AFM, these probes are suitable for local in situ sensing of hydrogen peroxide and at the same time can be used for (electrochemical) force spectroscopy measurements. Detection limits for hydrogen peroxide in the nanomolar range (LOD = 68 ± 7 nM) were obtained. Stability test and first in situ proof-of-principle experiments to achieve the electrochemical imaging of hydrogen peroxide generated at a microelectrode and at photocatalytically active structured poly(heptazine imide) films are demonstrated. Force spectroscopic data of the photocatalyst films were recorded in ambient conditions, in solution, and by applying a potential, which demonstrates the versatility of these novel Pt-B-modified spherical AFM probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hellmann
- Institute
of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Gregor Neusser
- Institute
of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sven Daboss
- Institute
of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Mohamed M. Elnagar
- Institute
of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Liessem
- Institute
of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Dariusz Mitoraj
- Institute
of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Radim Beranek
- Institute
of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Stéphane Arbault
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, UMR 5248, CBMN, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Christine Kranz
- Institute
of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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3
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Elnagar MM, Liessem J, Im C, Mitoraj D, Kibler LA, Neumann C, Turchanin A, Leiter R, Kaiser U, Jacob T, Krivtsov I, Beranek R. Water-soluble ionic carbon nitride as unconventional stabilizer for highly catalytically active ultrafine gold nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:19268-19281. [PMID: 37990869 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr03375a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafine metal nanoparticles (NPs) hold promise for applications in many fields, including catalysis. However, ultrasmall NPs are typically prone to aggregation, which often leads to performance losses, such as severe deactivation in catalysis. Conventional stabilization strategies (e.g., immobilization, embedding, or surface modification by capping agents) are typically only partly effective and often lead to loss of catalytic activity. Herein, a novel type of stabilizers based on water-soluble ionic (K+ and Na+ containing) polymeric carbon nitride (i.e., K,Na-poly(heptazine imide) = K,Na-PHI) is reported that enables effective stabilization of highly catalytically active ultrafine (size of ∼2-3 nm) gold NPs. Experimental and theoretical comparative studies using different structural units of K,Na-PHI (i.e., cyanurate, melonate, cyamelurate) indicate that the presence of functionalized heptazine moieties is crucial for the synthesis and stabilization of small Au NPs. The K,Na-PHI-stabilized Au NPs exhibit remarkable dispersibility and outstanding stability even in solutions of high ionic strength, which is ascribed to more effective charge delocalization in the large heptazine units, resulting in more effective electrostatic stabilization of Au NPs. The outstanding catalytic performance of Au NPs stabilized by K,Na-PHI is demonstrated using the selective reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by NaBH4 as a model reaction, in which they outperform even the benchmark "naked" Au NPs electrostatically stabilized by excess NaBH4. This work thus establishes ionic carbon nitrides (PHI) as alternative capping agents enabling effective stabilization without compromising surface catalysis, and opens up a route for further developments in utilizing PHI-based stabilizers for the synthesis of high-performance nanocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed M Elnagar
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Johannes Liessem
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Changbin Im
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Dariusz Mitoraj
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Ludwig A Kibler
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Christof Neumann
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM) and Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstr. 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Andrey Turchanin
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM) and Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstr. 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Robert Leiter
- Electron Microscopy of Materials Science, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ute Kaiser
- Electron Microscopy of Materials Science, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Timo Jacob
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
- Helmholtz-Institute-Ulm (HIU) Electrochemical Energy Storage, Helmholtzstr. 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), P.O. Box 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Igor Krivtsov
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Radim Beranek
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
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Barrio J, Li J, Shalom M. Carbon Nitrides from Supramolecular Crystals: From Single Atoms to Heterojunctions and Advanced Photoelectrodes. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202302377. [PMID: 37605638 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nitride materials (CN) have become one of the most studied photocatalysts within the last 15 years. While CN absorbs visible light, its low porosity and fast electron-hole recombination hinder its photoelectric performance and have motivated the research in the modification of its physical and chemical properties (such as energy band structure, porosity, or chemical composition) by different means. In this Concept we review the utilization of supramolecular crystals as CN precursors to tailor its properties. We elaborate on the features needed in a supramolecular crystal to serve as CN precursor, we delve on the influence of metal-free crystals in the morphology and porosity of the resulting materials and then discuss the formation of single atoms and heterojunctions when employing a metal-organic crystal. We finally discuss the performance of CN photoanodes derived from crystals and highlight the current standing challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Barrio
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW72AZ, England, UK
| | - Junyi Li
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Menny Shalom
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
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5
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Meng Z, Pastor E, Selim S, Ning H, Maimaris M, Kafizas A, Durrant JR, Bakulin AA. Operando IR Optical Control of Localized Charge Carriers in BiVO 4 Photoanodes. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:17700-17709. [PMID: 37527512 PMCID: PMC10436276 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
In photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) the photon-to-current conversion efficiency is often governed by carrier transport. Most metal oxides used in PECs exhibit thermally activated transport due to charge localization via the formation of polarons or the interaction with defects. This impacts catalysis by restricting the charge accumulation and extraction. To overcome this transport bottleneck nanostructuring, selective doping and photothermal treatments have been employed. Here we demonstrate an alternative approach capable of directly activating localized carriers in bismuth vanadate (BiVO4). We show that IR photons can optically excite localized charges, modulate their kinetics, and enhance the PEC current. Moreover, we track carriers bound to oxygen vacancies and expose their ∼10 ns charge localization, followed by ∼60 μs transport-assisted trapping. Critically, we demonstrate that localization is strongly dependent on the electric field within the device. While optical modulation has still a limited impact on overall PEC performance, we argue it offers a path to control devices on demand and uncover defect-related photophysics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Meng
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Ernest Pastor
- IPR−Institut
de Physique de Rennes, CNRS-Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 6251 Université de Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Shababa Selim
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Haoqing Ning
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Marios Maimaris
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Andreas Kafizas
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
- London
Centre for Nanotechnology, Imperial College
London, London SW7 2BP, United Kingdom
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Artem A. Bakulin
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processible Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
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6
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Pulignani C, Mesa CA, Hillman SAJ, Uekert T, Giménez S, Durrant JR, Reisner E. Rational Design of Carbon Nitride Photoelectrodes with High Activity Toward Organic Oxidations. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202211587. [PMID: 36224107 PMCID: PMC10099510 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202211587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Carbon nitride (CNx ) is a light-absorber with excellent performance in photocatalytic suspension systems, but the activity of CNx photoelectrodes has remained low. Here, cyanamide-functionalized CNx (NCN CNx ) was co-deposited with ITO nanoparticles on a 1.8 Å thick alumina-coated FTO electrode. Transient absorption spectroscopy and impedance measurements support that ITO acts as a conductive binder and improves electron extraction from the NCN CNx , whilst the alumina underlayer reduces recombination losses between the ITO and the FTO glass. The Al2 O3 |ITO : NCN CNx film displays a benchmark performance for CNx -based photoanodes with an onset of -0.4 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and 1.4±0.2 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs RHE during AM1.5G irradiation for the selective oxidation of 4-methylbenzyl alcohol. This assembly strategy will improve the exploration of CNx in fundamental and applied photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Pulignani
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Camilo A. Mesa
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM) Universitat Jaume I (UJI) 12006 Castelló de la Plana, Castellón Spain
| | - Sam A. J. Hillman
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics Imperial College London London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Taylor Uekert
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
| | - Sixto Giménez
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM) Universitat Jaume I (UJI) 12006 Castelló de la Plana, Castellón Spain
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics Imperial College London London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
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7
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Deitermann M, Huang Z, Lechler S, Merko M, Muhler M. Non‐Classical Conversion of Methanol to Formaldehyde. CHEM-ING-TECH 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cite.202200083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Deitermann
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie Universitätsstrasse 150 44801 Bochum Germany
| | - Zjian Huang
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie Universitätsstrasse 150 44801 Bochum Germany
| | - Sebastian Lechler
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie Universitätsstrasse 150 44801 Bochum Germany
| | - Mariia Merko
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie Universitätsstrasse 150 44801 Bochum Germany
| | - Martin Muhler
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie Universitätsstrasse 150 44801 Bochum Germany
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8
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Li C, Adler C, Krivtsov I, Mitoraj D, Leiter R, Kaiser U, Beranek R, Dietzek B. Ultrafast anisotropic exciton dynamics in a water-soluble ionic carbon nitride photocatalyst. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:10739-10742. [PMID: 34585184 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc03812e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Ultrafast transient absorption anisotropy spectroscopy (TAA) reveals the orientational dynamics of light-induced excitations in a water soluble poly(heptazine imide). The results provide insights into the fast charge transfer processes in the material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Li
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, Jena 07743, Germany. .,Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT), Research Department Functional Interfaces, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Christiane Adler
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany.
| | - Igor Krivtsov
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany.
| | - Dariusz Mitoraj
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany.
| | - Robert Leiter
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Ute Kaiser
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Radim Beranek
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm 89081, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Dietzek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, Jena 07743, Germany. .,Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT), Research Department Functional Interfaces, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena 07745, Germany.,Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7a, Jena 07743, Germany
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