Design of TiO2-SiC photocatalyst using TiC-SiC nano-particles for degradation of 2-propanol diluted in water

Porous Silicon Carbide (SiC): A Chance for Improving Catalysts or Just Another Active-Phase Carrier?

There is an obvious gap between efforts dedicated to the control of chemicophysical and morphological properties of catalyst active phases and the attention paid to the search of new materials to be employed as functional carriers in the upgrading of heterogeneous catalysts. Economic constraints and common habits in preparing heterogeneous catalysts have narrowed the selection of active-phase carriers to a handful of materials: oxide-based ceramics (e.g. Al₂O₃, SiO₂, TiO₂, and aluminosilicates-zeolites) and carbon. However, these carriers occasionally face chemicophysical constraints that limit their application in catalysis. For instance, oxides are easily corroded by acids or bases, and carbon is not resistant to oxidation. Therefore, these carriers cannot be recycled. Moreover, the poor thermal conductivity of metal oxide carriers often translates into permanent alterations of the catalyst active sites (i.e. metal active-phase sintering) that compromise the catalyst performance and its lifetime on run. Therefore, the development of new carriers for the design and synthesis of advanced functional catalytic materials and processes is an urgent priority for the heterogeneous catalysis of the future. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a non-oxide semiconductor with unique chemicophysical properties that make it highly attractive in several branches of catalysis. Accordingly, the past decade has witnessed a large increase of reports dedicated to the design of SiC-based catalysts, also in light of a steadily growing portfolio of porous SiC materials covering a wide range of well-controlled pore structure and surface properties. This review article provides a comprehensive overview on the synthesis and use of macro/mesoporous SiC materials in catalysis, stressing their unique features for the design of efficient, cost-effective, and easy to scale-up heterogeneous catalysts, outlining their success where other and more classical oxide-based supports failed. All applications of SiC in catalysis will be reviewed from the perspective of a given chemical reaction, highlighting all improvements rising from the use of SiC in terms of activity, selectivity, and process sustainability. We feel that the experienced viewpoint of SiC-based catalyst producers and end users (these authors) and their critical presentation of a comprehensive overview on the applications of SiC in catalysis will help the readership to create its own opinion on the central role of SiC for the future of heterogeneous catalysis.

Controlling the Energy-Level Alignment of Silicon Carbide Nanocrystals by Combining Surface Chemistry with Quantum Confinement

The knowledge of band edges in nanocrystals (NCs) and quantum-confined systems is important for band alignment in technologically significant applications such as water purification, decomposition of organic compounds, water splitting, and solar cells. While the band energy diagram of bulk silicon carbides (SiCs) has been studied extensively for decades, very little is known about its evolution in SiC NCs. Moreover, the interplay between quantum confinement and surface chemistry gives rise to unusual electronic properties and remains barely understood. Here, we report for the first time the complete band energy diagram of SiC NCs synthesized such that they span the regime from strong to intermediate to weak quantum confinement. The absolute positions of the highest occupied (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied (LUMO) molecular orbitals show clear size dependence. While the HOMO level follows the expected behavior for quantum-confined electronic states, the LUMO energy shifts below the bulk conduction band minimum, which cannot be explained by a simple quantum confinement caused by the size effect. We show that this effect is a result of the interplay between quantum confinement and the formation of surface states due to partial and site-selective oxygen passivation.

A highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and bisphenol A based on the ultrafine Pd nanoparticle@TiO2 functionalized SiC

A titanium dioxide-silicon carbide nanohybrid (TiO2-SiC) with enhanced electrochemical performance was successfully prepared through a facile generic in situ growth strategy. Monodispersed ultrafine palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) with a uniform size of ∼2.3 nm were successfully obtained on the TiO2-SiC surface via a chemical reduction method. The Pd-loaded TiO2-SiC nanohybrid (Pd@TiO2-SiC) was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. A method for the simultaneous electrochemical determination of hydroquinone (HQ) and bisphenol A (BPA) using a Pd@TiO2-SiC nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode was established. Utilizing the favorable properties of Pd NPs, the Pd@TiO2-SiC nanohybrid-modified glassy carbon electrode exhibited electrochemical performance superior to those of TiO2-SiC and SiC. Differential pulse voltammetry was successfully used to simultaneously quantify HQ and BPA within the concentration range of 0.01-200 μM under optimal conditions. The detection limits (S/N=3) of the Pd@TiO2-SiC nanohybrid electrode for HQ and BPA were 5.5 and 4.3 nM, respectively. The selectivity of the electrochemical sensor was improved by introducing 10% ethanol to the buffer medium. The practical application of the modified electrode was demonstrated by the simultaneous detection of HQ and BPA in tap water and wastewater samples. The simple and straightforward strategy presented in this paper are important for the facile fabrication of ultrafine metal NPs@metal oxide-SiC hybrids with high electrochemical performance and catalytic activity.

Solar light driven Rhodamine B degradation over highly active β-SiC–TiO2 nanocomposite

A Heterojunction of a β-SiC–TiO₂ nanocomposite photocatalyst is found to be robust enough to achieve high degree of Rhodamine-B degradation in presence of solar light.

Photodegradation of indigo carmine and methylene blue dyes in aqueous solution by SiC-TiO2 catalysts prepared by sol-gel

Indigo carmine and methylene blue dyes in aqueous solution were photodegraded using SiC-TiO(2) catalysts prepared by sol-gel method. After thermal treatment at 450°C, SiC-TiO(2) catalysts prepared in this work showed the presence of SiC and TiO(2) anatase phase. Those compounds showed specific surface area values around 22-25 m(2)g(-1), and energy band gap values close to 3.05 eV. In comparison with TiO(2) (P25), SiC-TiO(2) catalysts showed the highest activity for indigo carmine and methylene blue degradation, but this activity cannot be attributed to the properties above mentioned. Therefore, photocatalytic performance is due to the synergy effect between SiC and TiO(2) particles caused by the sol-gel method used to prepare the SiC-TiO(2) catalysts. TiO(2) nanoparticles are well dispersed onto SiC surface allowing the transfer of electronic charges between SiC and TiO(2) semiconductors, which avoid the fast recombination of the electron-hole pair during the photocatalytic process.