1
|
Xu M, Jeon Y, Naden A, Kim H, Kerherve G, Payne DJ, Shul YG, Irvine JTS. Synergistic growth of nickel and platinum nanoparticles via exsolution and surface reaction. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4007. [PMID: 38740805 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48455-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bimetallic catalysts combining precious and earth-abundant metals in well designed nanoparticle architectures can enable cost efficient and stable heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we present an interaction-driven in-situ approach to engineer finely dispersed Ni decorated Pt nanoparticles (1-6 nm) on perovskite nanofibres via reduction at high temperatures (600-800 oC). Deposition of Pt (0.5 wt%) enhances the reducibility of the perovskite support and promotes the nucleation of Ni cations via metal-support interaction, thereafter the Ni species react with Pt forming alloy nanoparticles, with the combined processes yielding smaller nanoparticles that either of the contributing processes. Tuneable uniform Pt-Ni nanoparticles are produced on the perovskite surface, yielding reactivity and stability surpassing 1 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for CO oxidation. This approach heralds the possibility of in-situ fabrication of supported bimetallic nanoparticles with engineered compositional distributions and performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Xu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Yukwon Jeon
- Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Aaron Naden
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Heesu Kim
- Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | | | - David J Payne
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Yong-Gun Shul
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hou X, Jiang Y, Wei K, Jiang C, Jen TC, Yao Y, Liu X, Ma J, Irvine JTS. Syngas Production from CO 2 and H 2O via Solid-Oxide Electrolyzer Cells: Fundamentals, Materials, Degradation, Operating Conditions, and Applications. Chem Rev 2024; 124:5119-5166. [PMID: 38619540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Highly efficient coelectrolysis of CO2/H2O into syngas (a mixture of CO/H2), and subsequent syngas conversion to fuels and value-added chemicals, is one of the most promising alternatives to reach the corner of zero carbon strategy and renewable electricity storage. This research reviews the current state-of-the-art advancements in the coelectrolysis of CO2/H2O in solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs) to produce the important syngas intermediate. The overviews of the latest research on the operating principles and thermodynamic and kinetic models are included for both oxygen-ion- and proton-conducting SOECs. The advanced materials that have recently been developed for both types of SOECs are summarized. It later elucidates the necessity and possibility of regulating the syngas ratios (H2:CO) via changing the operating conditions, including temperature, inlet gas composition, flow rate, applied voltage or current, and pressure. In addition, the sustainability and widespread application of SOEC technology for the conversion of syngas is highlighted. Finally, the challenges and the future research directions in this field are addressed. This review will appeal to scientists working on renewable-energy-conversion technologies, CO2 utilization, and SOEC applications. The implementation of the technologies introduced in this review offers solutions to climate change and renewable-power-storage problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangjun Hou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, 643000, P. R. China
- Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions, Florida Campus, University of South Africa, Roodepoort 1710, South Africa
| | - Yao Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, 643000, P. R. China
| | - Keyan Wei
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, 643000, P. R. China
- Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions, Florida Campus, University of South Africa, Roodepoort 1710, South Africa
| | - Cairong Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, 643000, P. R. China
| | - Tien-Chien Jen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
| | - Yali Yao
- Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions, Florida Campus, University of South Africa, Roodepoort 1710, South Africa
| | - Xinying Liu
- Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions, Florida Campus, University of South Africa, Roodepoort 1710, South Africa
| | - Jianjun Ma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, 643000, P. R. China
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, The Purdie Building, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zuo S, Liao Y, Wang C, Naden AB, Irvine JTS. Improving the Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Exsolved Cobalt Nanoparticles on Titanate Perovskite Catalyst. Small 2024; 20:e2308867. [PMID: 37899296 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Perovskites are an important class of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts due to highly tunable compositions and adaptable characteristics. However, perovskite-based catalysts can have limited atom utilization efficiency due to large particle size, resulting in low mass activity. Herein, Cobalt nanoparticles are exsolved from La0.2+2x Ca0.7-2x Ti1-x Cox O3 perovskite and applied in OER. Upon reduction in the 5% H2 /N2 atmosphere at 800 °C for 2 h, the Co exsolved perovskite catalyst (R-LCTCo0.11) exhibits optimal OER performance. The mass activity of R-LCTCo0.11 reaches ≈1700 mA mg-1 at an overpotential of 450 mV, which is 17 times and 3 times higher than that of LCTCo0.11 (97 mA mg-1 ) and R-Mix (560 mA mg-1 ) catalysts respectively, surpassing the benchmark catalyst RuO2 (42.7 mA mg-1 of oxide at η = 470 mV). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data reveals that R-LCTCo0.11 has the lowest charge transfer resistance (Rct = 58 Ω), demonstrating the highest catalytic and kinetic activity for OER. Furthermore, this catalyst shows high stability during an accelerated durability test of 10 h electrolysis and 1000 cycles cyclic voltammetry (CV). This work demonstrates that nanoparticle exsolution from a doped perovskite is an effective strategy for improving the atom utilization efficiency in OER.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shangshang Zuo
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Yuan Liao
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Chenchen Wang
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Aaron B Naden
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Moura DS, Pestana CJ, Moffat CF, Gkoulemani N, Hui J, Irvine JTS, Lawton LA. Aging microplastics enhances the adsorption of pharmaceuticals in freshwater. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:169467. [PMID: 38141976 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental concern. Pollutants such as microplastics (< 5 mm) and pharmaceuticals often co-exist in the aquatic environment. The current study aimed to elucidate the interaction of pharmaceuticals with microplastics and ascertain how the process of photo-oxidation of microplastics affected the adsorption of the pharmaceuticals. To this end, a mixture containing ibuprofen, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine and ofloxacin (16 μmol L-1 each) was placed in contact with one of six either virgin or aged microplastic types. The virgin microplastics were acquired commercially and artificially aged in the laboratory. Polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride microparticles at two sizes described as small (D50 < 35 μm) and large (D50 95-157 μm) were evaluated. Results demonstrated that the study of virgin particles may underestimate the adsorption of micropollutants onto microplastics. For virgin particles, only small microparticles of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and both sizes of polyamide adsorbed pharmaceuticals. Aging the microplastics increased significantly the adsorption of pharmaceuticals by microplastics. Fluoxetine adsorbed onto all aged microplastics, from 18 % (large polyethylene terephthalate) to 99 % (small polypropylene). The current investigation highlights the potential of microplastics to act as a vector for pharmaceuticals in freshwater, especially after aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana S Moura
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK.
| | - Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Colin F Moffat
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Nikoletta Gkoulemani
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9ST, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Irvine GJ, Smith RI, Jones MO, Irvine JTS. Order-disorder and ionic conductivity in calcium nitride-hydride. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4389. [PMID: 37474517 PMCID: PMC10359262 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently nitrogen-hydrogen compounds have successfully been applied as co-catalysts for mild conditions ammonia synthesis. Ca2NH was shown to act as a H2 sink during reaction, with H atoms from its lattice being incorporated into the NH3(g) product. Thus the ionic transport and diffusion properties of the N-H co-catalyst are fundamentally important to understanding and developing such syntheses. Here we show hydride ion conduction in these materials. Two distinct calcium nitride-hydride Ca2NH phases, prepared via different synthetic paths are found to show dramatically different properties. One phase (β) shows fast hydride ionic conduction properties (0.08 S/cm at 600 °C), on a par with the best binary ionic hydrides and 10 times higher than CaH2, whilst the other (α) is 100 times less conductive. An in situ combined analysis techniques reveals that the effective β-phase conducts ions via a vacancy-mediated phenomenon in which the charge carrier concentration is dependent on the ion concentration in the secondary site and by extension the vacancy concentration in the main site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G J Irvine
- Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK.
| | - Ronald I Smith
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford, England, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - M O Jones
- Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford, England, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - J T S Irvine
- Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK.
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford, England, OX11 0QX, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abi Ghaida F, Brinkert K, Cai Y, Catlow CRA, Chen HYT, Chen P, Dacquin JP, Daisley A, El-Kadi J, Gao W, Guo J, Hargreaves JSJ, Higham MD, Holland PL, Hosono H, Irvine GJ, Irvine JTS, Kaur M, Kobayashi Y, Laassiri S, Liedtke L, MacFarlane DR, Makepeace J, McPherson IJ, Mishra V, Ntola P, Otomo S, Peters JC, Sekine Y, Shi Z, Sievers C, Stephens IEL, Sudmeier T, Torrente Murciano L, Uner D, Wang Q, Wang Y, Westhead O, Yusuf L, Zeng X. Heterogeneous catalytic and chemical looping routes to N 2 activation: general discussion. Faraday Discuss 2023; 243:198-230. [PMID: 37358417 DOI: 10.1039/d3fd90010j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
|
7
|
Irvine GJ, Irvine JTS. Ionic conductivity and disorder in calcium and barium nitrogen hydrogen phases. Faraday Discuss 2023. [PMID: 37415462 DOI: 10.1039/d2fd00178k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen-hydrogen based alkali and alkaline earth metal compounds have recently received a substantial amount of attention as co-catalysts for heterogeneous mild condition ammonia synthesis (MCAS). The incorporation of these materials has been shown to result in positive reaction orders with respect to H2, solving the issue of hydrogen poisoning, e.g., the occupation of the majority of transition metal (TM) active sites by H-adatoms due to the significantly faster kinetics of H2 dissociation as compared to N2. The mechanism that underlies this is thought to be the incorporation (sinking) of H-adatoms from the surface of TMs to the bulk of the N-H phases. Thus, the slower kinetics of N2 dissociation no longer inhibit ammonia synthesis, and improvements in the kinetics dissociation for TM can be realised without consideration for which specific gases are affected (e.g., the circumventing of scaling relations). The ability to transport H-adatoms from the surface of TM is therefore of fundamental importance to the properties of the N-H co-catalyst implying that the conductivity of these species towards H and N ions, and NHx species, is of utmost importance. As such, we investigate two N-H systems that can be prepared by reacting the respective hydrides with nitrogen resulting in nitride-hydride and imide forms for Ca and Ba, respectively. These have both been previously shown to promote ammonia synthesis and here we investigate their conductive properties, and discuss these systems in the context of activity and stability of the total system with specific focus on the rise of secondary anion species, and the presence of barium in the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin J Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK.
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Biswas S, Brinkert K, Catlow RA, Chen HYT, El-Kadi J, Fagiolari L, Gao W, Gupta D, Hargreaves JSJ, Hatzell MC, Holland PL, Hosono H, Irvine JTS, Isaacs M, Kobayashi Y, Liedtke L, Lozano-Roche Á, MacFarlane D, Mangini A, McPherson IJ, Mishra V, Ntola P, Otomo S, Peters JC, Risch M, Rizzato L, Safeer N K M, Shylin SI, Sievers C, Sinha V, Stephens IEL, Sudmeier T, Tian F, Vincent KA, Wang Q, Wang Y, Westhead O, Yusuf L, Zuliani G. Electrocatalytic and photocatalytic routes to N 2 activation: general discussion. Faraday Discuss 2023. [PMID: 37382558 DOI: 10.1039/d3fd90007j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
|
9
|
Moura DS, Pestana CJ, Moffat CF, Hui J, Irvine JTS, Lawton LA. Characterisation of microplastics is key for reliable data interpretation. Chemosphere 2023; 331:138691. [PMID: 37076081 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic research has gained attention due to the increased detection of microplastics (<5 mm size) in the aquatic environment. Most laboratory-based research of microplastics is performed using microparticles from specific suppliers with either superficial or no characterisation performed to confirm the physico-chemical information detailed by the supplier. The current study has selected 21 published adsorption studies to evaluate how the microplastics were characterised by the authors prior experimentation. Additionally, six microplastic types described as 'small' (10-25 μm) and 'large' (100 μm) were commercially acquired from a single supplier. A detailed characterisation was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and N2-Brunauer, Emmett and Teller adsorption-desorption surface area analysis. The size and the polymer composition of some of the material provided by the supplier was inconsistent with the analytical data obtained. FT-IR spectra of small polypropylene particles indicated either oxidation of the particles or the presence of a grafting agent which was absent in the large particles. A wide range of sizes for the small particles was observed: polyethylene (0.2-549 μm), polyethylene terephthalate (7-91 μm) and polystyrene (1-79 μm). Small polyamide (D50 75 μm) showed a greater median particle size and similar size distribution when compared to large polyamide (D50 65 μm). Moreover, small polyamide was found to be semi-crystalline, while the large polyamide displayed an amorphous form. The type of microplastic and the size of the particles are a key factor in determining the adsorption of pollutants and subsequent ingestion by aquatic organisms. Acquiring uniform particle sizes is challenging, however based on this study, characterisation of any materials used in microplastic-related experiments is critical to ensure reliable interpretation of results, thereby providing a better understanding of the potential environmental consequences of the presence of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana S Moura
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
| | - Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Colin F Moffat
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pestana CJ, Hui J, Camacho-Muñoz D, Edwards C, Robertson PKJ, Irvine JTS, Lawton LA. Solar-driven semi-conductor photocatalytic water treatment (TiO 2, g-C 3N 4, and TiO 2+g-C 3N 4) of cyanotoxins: Proof-of-concept study with microcystin-LR. Chemosphere 2023; 310:136828. [PMID: 36241123 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and their toxins are a threat to drinking water safety as increasingly cyanobacterial blooms (mass occurrences) occur in lakes and reservoirs all over the world. Photocatalytic removal of cyanotoxins by solar light active catalysts is a promising way to purify water at relatively low cost compared to modifying existing infrastructure. We have established a facile and low-cost method to obtain TiO2 and g-C3N4 coated floating photocatalysts using recycled glass beads. g-C3N4 coated and TiO2+g-C3N4 co-coated beads were able to completely remove microcystin-LR in artificial fresh water under both natural and simulated solar light irradiation without agitation in less than 2 h. TiO2 coated beads achieved complete removal within 8 h of irradiation. TiO2+g-C3N4 beads were more effective than g-C3N4 beads as demonstrated by the increase reaction rate with reaction constants, 0.0485 min-1 compared to 0.0264 min-1 respectively, with TiO2 alone found to be considerably slower 0.0072 min-1. g-C3N4 based photocatalysts showed a similar degradation pathway to TiO2 based photocatalysts by attacking the C6-C7 double bond on the Adda side chain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 7GJ, UK.
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Dolores Camacho-Muñoz
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Peter K J Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Queen's University of Belfast, Stanmillis Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5AG, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 7GJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Xu M, Liu C, Naden AB, Früchtl H, Bühl M, Irvine JTS. Electrochemical Activation Applied to Perovskite Titanate Fibers to Yield Supported Alloy Nanoparticles for Electrocatalytic Application. Small 2023; 19:e2204682. [PMID: 36372544 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202204682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Active bi-metallic nanoparticles are of key importance in catalysis and renewable energy. Here, the in situ formation of bi-metallic nanoparticles is investigated by exsolution on 200 nm diameter perovskite fibers. The B-site co-doped perovskite fibers display a high degree of exsolution, decorated with NiCo or Ni3 Fe bi-metallic nanoparticles with average diameter about 29 and 35 nm, respectively. The perovskite fibers are utilized as cathode materials in pure CO2 electrolysis cells due to their redox stability in the CO/CO2 atmosphere. After in situ electrochemical switching, the nanoparticles exsolved from the perovskite fiber demonstrate an enhanced performance in pure CO2 electrolysis. At 900 °C, the current density of solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) with 200 µm YSZ electrolyte supported NiFe doped perovskite fiber anode reaches 0.75 Acm-2 at 1.6 V superior to the NiCo doped perovskite fiber anode (about 1.5 times) in pure CO2 . According to DFT calculations (PBE-D3 level) the superior CO2 conversion on NiFe compared to NiCo bi-metallic species is related to an enhanced driving force for C-O cleavage under formation of CO chemisorbed on the nanoparticle and a reduced binding energy of CO required to release this product.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Xu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Chencheng Liu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Aaron B Naden
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Herbert Früchtl
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Michael Bühl
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pestana CJ, Santos AA, Capelo-Neto J, Melo VMM, Reis KC, Oliveira S, Rogers R, Pacheco ABF, Hui J, Skillen NC, Barros MUG, Edwards C, Azevedo SMFO, Robertson PKJ, Irvine JTS, Lawton LA. Suppressing cyanobacterial dominance by UV-LED TiO 2-photocatalysis in a drinking water reservoir: A mesocosm study. Water Res 2022; 226:119299. [PMID: 36323220 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and their toxic secondary metabolites present challenges for water treatment globally. In this study we have assessed TiO2 immobilized onto recycled foamed glass beads by a facile calcination method, combined in treatment units with 365 nm UV-LEDs. The treatment system was deployed in mesocosms within a eutrophic Brazilian drinking water reservoir. The treatment units were deployed for 7 days and suppressed cyanobacterial abundance by 85% while at the same time enhancing other water quality parameters; turbidity and transparency improved by 40 and 81% respectively. Genomic analysis of the microbiota in the treated mesocosms revealed that the composition of the cyanobacterial community was affected and the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria increased during cyanobacterial suppression. The effect of the treatment on zooplankton and other eukaryotes was also monitored. The abundance of zooplankton decreased while Chrysophyte and Alveolata loadings increased. The results of this proof-of-concept study demonstrate the potential for full-scale, in-reservoir application of advanced oxidation processes as complementary water treatment processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
| | - Allan A Santos
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Capelo-Neto
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Vânia M M Melo
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Kelly C Reis
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Samylla Oliveira
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Rogers
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana B F Pacheco
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Nathan C Skillen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Mário U G Barros
- Ceára Water Resources Management Company (COGERH), Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Sandra M F O Azevedo
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Peter K J Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Moura DS, Pestana CJ, Moffat CF, Hui J, Irvine JTS, Edwards C, Lawton LA. Adsorption of cyanotoxins on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate: Microplastics as vector of eight microcystin analogues. Environ Pollut 2022; 303:119135. [PMID: 35283205 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are utilised globally but are of environmental concern due to their persistence. The global presence of microplastics (particles <5 mm in all dimensions) in freshwater environments is increasingly reported, as has the presence of cyanobacterial toxins, including the microcystins. We elucidated the potential role of microplastics as a vector for eight microcystin analogues. Two sizes of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microparticles were evaluated. The median particle size distribution (D50) was 8-28 μm for small particles, and 81-124 μm for large particles. Additionally, microcystin-LR and -LF were evaluated individually using small PP and PET to elucidate the adsorption behaviour in the absence of competition. Microcystin hydrophobicity, polymer material, and particle size were key factors influencing adsorption to the plastic microparticles. The small size PP microparticles demonstrated a high affinity for the 8 microcystin analogues. The proportion of microcystin adsorbed onto the small particles of PP after 48 h contact was between 83 and 100%, depending on the analogue. Of all analogues investigated, only microcystin-LW and -LF adsorbed onto the larger sized PP and PET microparticles. Individually, greater amounts of MC-LF adsorbed onto the small PET (19%) compared to when it was present in the mixture of microcystins (11%). While MC-LR did not adsorb onto small PET microparticles in the mixture, 5% adsorption was observed when individually in contact with small PET microparticles. The results demonstrated that microplastics can adsorb eight different microcystin analogues and that more hydrophobic analogues are more likely to adsorb than less hydrophobic analogues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana S Moura
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
| | - Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Colin F Moffat
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Linnell SF, Hirsbrunner M, Imada S, Cibin G, Naden AB, Chadwick AV, Irvine JTS, Duda LC, Armstrong AR. Enhanced Cycling Stability in the Anion Redox Material P3‐Type Zn‐Substituted Sodium Manganese Oxide. ChemElectroChem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202200240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saki Imada
- Kyoto Institute of Technology School of Science and Technology: Kyoto Kogei Sen'i Daigaku Kogei Kagakubu Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics JAPAN
| | | | - Aaron B. Naden
- University of St Andrews School of Chemistry UNITED KINGDOM
| | | | | | - Laurent C. Duda
- Uppsala Universitet Department of Physics and Astronomy SWEDEN
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Menezes I, Capelo-Neto J, Pestana CJ, Clemente A, Hui J, Irvine JTS, Nimal Gunaratne HQ, Robertson PKJ, Edwards C, Gillanders RN, Turnbull GA, Lawton LA. Comparison of UV-A photolytic and UV/TiO 2 photocatalytic effects on Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7813 and four microcystin analogues: A pilot scale study. J Environ Manage 2021; 298:113519. [PMID: 34411798 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To date, the high cost of supplying UV irradiation has prevented the widespread application of UV photolysis and titanium dioxide based photocatalysis in removing undesirable organics in the water treatment sector. To overcome this problem, the use of UV-LEDs (365 nm) for photolysis and heterogeneous photocatalysis applying TiO2 coated glass beads under UV-LED illumination (365 nm) in a pilot scale reactor for the elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7813 and four microcystin analogues (MC-LR, -LY, -LW, -LF) with a view to deployment in drinking water reservoirs was investigated. UV-A (365 nm) photolysis was shown to be more effective than the UV/TiO2 photocatalytic system for the removal of Microcystis aeruginosa cells and microcystins. During photolysis, cell density significantly decreased over 5 days from an initial concentration of 5.8 × 106 cells mL-1 until few cells were left. Both intra- and extracellular microcystin concentrations were significantly reduced by 100 and 92 %, respectively, by day 5 of the UV treatment for all microcystin analogues. During UV/TiO2 treatment, there was great variability between replicates, making prediction of the effect on cyanobacterial cell and toxin behavior difficult.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indira Menezes
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
| | - José Capelo-Neto
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Allan Clemente
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - H Q Nimal Gunaratne
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Peter K J Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Ross N Gillanders
- Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Graham A Turnbull
- Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
McDonald C, Ni C, Švrček V, Macias-Montero M, Velusamy T, Connor PA, Maguire P, Irvine JTS, Mariotti D. Carrier extraction from metallic perovskite oxide nanoparticles. Nanoscale 2021; 13:12271-12278. [PMID: 34241608 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr02890a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We observe the extraction of carriers excited between two types of bands in the perovskite oxide, Sr-deficient strontium niobate (Sr0.9NbO3). Sr0.9NbO3 exhibits metallic behaviour and high conductivity, whilst also displaying broad absorption across the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions, making it an attractive material for solar energy conversion. Furthermore, the optoelectronic properties of strontium niobate can easily be tuned by varying the Sr fraction or through doping. Sr-deficient strontium niobate exhibits a split conduction band, which enables two types of optical transitions: intraband and interband. However, whether such carriers can be extracted from an unusual material as such remains unproven. In this report, we have overcome the immense challenge of photocarrier extraction by fabricating an extremely thin absorber layer of Sr0.9NbO3 nanoparticles. These findings open up great opportunities to harvest a very broad solar spectral absorption range with reduced recombination losses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calum McDonald
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kothari M, Jeon Y, Miller DN, Pascui AE, Kilmartin J, Wails D, Ramos S, Chadwick A, Irvine JTS. Platinum incorporation into titanate perovskites to deliver emergent active and stable platinum nanoparticles. Nat Chem 2021; 13:677-682. [PMID: 34031562 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00696-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Platinum functions exceptionally well as a nanoparticulate catalyst in many important fields, such as in the removal of atmospheric pollutants, but it is scarce, expensive and not always sufficiently durable. Here, we report a perovskite system in which 0.5 wt% Pt is integrated into the support and its subsequent conversion through exsolution to achieve a resilient catalyst. Owing to the instability of most Pt oxides at high temperatures, a thermally stable platinum oxide precursor, barium platinate, was used to preserve the platinum as an oxide during the solid-state synthesis in an approach akin to the Trojan horse legend. By tailoring the procedure, it is possible to produce a uniform equilibrated structure with active emergent Pt nanoparticles strongly embedded in the perovskite surface that display better CO oxidation activity and stability than those of conventionally prepared Pt catalysts. This catalyst was further evaluated for a variety of reactions under realistic test environments-CO and NO oxidation, diesel oxidation catalysis and ammonia slip reactions were investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maadhav Kothari
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Yukwon Jeon
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.,Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea
| | - David N Miller
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | | | - John Kilmartin
- Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Sonning Common, Reading, UK
| | - David Wails
- Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Sonning Common, Reading, UK
| | - Silvia Ramos
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Alan Chadwick
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tian Y, Wang W, Liu Y, Naden A, Xu M, Wu S, Chi B, Pu J, Irvine JTS. Achieving Strong Coherency for a Composite Electrode via One-Pot Method with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance in Reversible Solid Oxide Cells. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c05543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yunfeng Tian
- School of Materials Science and Physics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Center for Fuel Cell Innovation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Center for Fuel Cell Innovation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Aaron Naden
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, U.K
| | - Min Xu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, U.K
| | - Shitao Wu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, U.K
| | - Bo Chi
- Center for Fuel Cell Innovation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jian Pu
- Center for Fuel Cell Innovation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - John T. S. Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wang Y, Kang Y, Zhu H, Liu G, Irvine JTS, Xu X. Perovskite Oxynitride Solid Solutions of LaTaON 2-CaTaO 2N with Greatly Enhanced Photogenerated Charge Separation for Solar-Driven Overall Water Splitting. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:2003343. [PMID: 33511021 PMCID: PMC7816695 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202003343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The search for solar-driven photocatalysts for overall water splitting has been actively pursued. Although metal oxynitrides with metal d0/d10-closed shell configuration are very promising candidates in terms of their visible light absorption, they usually suffer from serious photo-generated charge recombination and thus, little photoactivity. Here, by forming their solid solutions of LaTaON2 and CaTaO2N, which are traditionally considered to be inorganic yellow-red pigments but have poor photocatalytic activity, a class of promising solar-driven photocatalysts La1- x Ca x TaO1+yN2- y (0 ≤ x, y ≤ 1) are explored. In particular, the optimal photocatalyst with x = 0.9 has the ability of realizing overall water splitting with stoichiometric H2/O2 ratio under the illumination of both AM1.5 simulated solar light and visible light. The modulated key parameters including band structure, Ta bonding environment, defects concentration, and band edge alignments revealed in La0.1Ca0.9TaO1+ y N2- y have substantially promoted the separation of photogenerated charge carriers with sufficient energetics for water oxidation and reduction reactions. The results obtained in this study provide an important candidate for designing efficient solar-driven photocatalysts for overall water splitting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yawei Wang
- Clinical and Central LabPutuo People's HospitalShanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and SustainabilitySchool of Chemical Science and EngineeringTongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yuyang Kang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials ScienceInstitute of Metal ResearchChinese Academy of Sciences72 Wenhua RoadShenyang110016China
| | - Huaze Zhu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials ScienceInstitute of Metal ResearchChinese Academy of Sciences72 Wenhua RoadShenyang110016China
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials ScienceInstitute of Metal ResearchChinese Academy of Sciences72 Wenhua RoadShenyang110016China
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology of China72 Wenhua RoadShenyang110016China
| | | | - Xiaoxiang Xu
- Clinical and Central LabPutuo People's HospitalShanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and SustainabilitySchool of Chemical Science and EngineeringTongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pestana CJ, Portela Noronha J, Hui J, Edwards C, Gunaratne HQN, Irvine JTS, Robertson PKJ, Capelo-Neto J, Lawton LA. Photocatalytic removal of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7813 and four microcystins by TiO 2 coated porous glass beads with UV-LED irradiation. Sci Total Environ 2020; 745:141154. [PMID: 32758751 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and their toxic secondary metabolites are a challenge in water treatment due to increased biomass and dissolved metabolites in the raw water. Retrofitting existing water treatment infrastructure is prohibitively expensive or unfeasible, hence 'in-reservoir' treatment options are being explored. In the current study, a treatment system was able to photocatalytically inhibit the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and remove released microcystins by photocatalysis using titanium dioxide coated, porous foamed glass beads and UV-LEDs (365 nm). A 35% reduction of M. aeruginosa PCC7813 cell density compared to control samples was achieved in seven days. As a function of cell removal, intracellular microcystins (microcystin-LR, -LY, -LW, and -LF) were removed by 49% from 0.69 to 0.35 μg mL-1 in seven days. Microcystins that leaked into the surrounding water from compromised cells were completely removed by photocatalysis. The findings of the current study demonstrate the feasibility of an in-reservoir treatment unit applying low cost UV-LEDs and porous foamed beads made from recycled glass coated with titanium dioxide as a means to control cyanobacteria and their toxins before they can reach the water treatment plant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Pestana
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
| | - Jolita Portela Noronha
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - H Q Nimal Gunaratne
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Peter K J Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - José Capelo-Neto
- Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Linda A Lawton
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Calì E, Kerherve G, Naufal F, Kousi K, Neagu D, Papaioannou EI, Thomas MP, Guiton BS, Metcalfe IS, Irvine JTS, Payne DJ. Exsolution of Catalytically Active Iridium Nanoparticles from Strontium Titanate. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:37444-37453. [PMID: 32698571 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c08928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The search for new functional materials that combine high stability and efficiency with reasonable cost and ease of synthesis is critical for their use in renewable energy applications. Specifically in catalysis, nanoparticles, with their high surface-to-volume ratio, can overcome the cost implications associated with otherwise having to use large amounts of noble metals. However, commercialized materials, that is, catalytic nanoparticles deposited on oxide supports, often suffer from loss of activity because of coarsening and carbon deposition during operation. Exsolution has proven to be an interesting strategy to overcome such issues. Here, the controlled emergence, or exsolution, of faceted iridium nanoparticles from a doped SrTiO3 perovskite is reported and their growth preliminary probed by in situ electron microscopy. Upon reduction of SrIr0.005Ti0.995O3, the generated nanoparticles show embedding into the oxide support, therefore preventing agglomeration and subsequent catalyst degradation. The advantages of this approach are the extremely low noble metal amount employed (∼0.5% weight) and the catalytic activity reported during CO oxidation tests, where the performance of the exsolved SrIr0.005Ti0.995O3 is compared to the activity of a commercial catalyst with 1% loading (1% Ir/Al2O3). The high activity obtained with such low doping shows the possibility of scaling up this new catalyst, reducing the high cost associated with iridium-based materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Calì
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Gwilherm Kerherve
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Faris Naufal
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Kalliopi Kousi
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Merz Court, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Dragos Neagu
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Merz Court, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | | | - Melonie P Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Beth S Guiton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Ian S Metcalfe
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Merz Court, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - David J Payne
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fop S, McCombie KS, Wildman EJ, Skakle JMS, Irvine JTS, Connor PA, Savaniu C, Ritter C, Mclaughlin AC. High oxide ion and proton conductivity in a disordered hexagonal perovskite. Nat Mater 2020; 19:752-757. [PMID: 32123332 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-020-0629-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Oxide ion and proton conductors, which exhibit high conductivity at intermediate temperature, are necessary to improve the performance of ceramic fuel cells. The crystal structure plays a pivotal role in defining the ionic conduction properties, and the discovery of new materials is a challenging research focus. Here, we show that the undoped hexagonal perovskite Ba7Nb4MoO20 supports pure ionic conduction with high proton and oxide ion conductivity at 510 °C (the bulk conductivity is 4.0 mS cm-1), and hence is an exceptional candidate for application as a dual-ion solid electrolyte in a ceramic fuel cell that will combine the advantages of both oxide ion and proton-conducting electrolytes. Ba7Nb4MoO20 also showcases excellent chemical and electrical stability. Hexagonal perovskites form an important new family of materials for obtaining novel ionic conductors with potential applications in a range of energy-related technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sacha Fop
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
| | | | - Eve J Wildman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Jan M S Skakle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Paul A Connor
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Haq AU, Buerkle M, Askari S, Rocks C, Ni C, Švrček V, Maguire P, Irvine JTS, Mariotti D. Controlling the Energy-Level Alignment of Silicon Carbide Nanocrystals by Combining Surface Chemistry with Quantum Confinement. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:1721-1728. [PMID: 32040322 PMCID: PMC7145349 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Atta Ul Haq
- Nanotechnology
& Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University, Shore Road, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Marius Buerkle
- National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 2, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Sadegh Askari
- Institute
for Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität
zu Kiel, Leibnizstraße
17, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Conor Rocks
- Nanotechnology
& Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University, Shore Road, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Chengsheng Ni
- School
of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
- College
of Resources and Environment, Southwest
University, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Vladimir Švrček
- National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 2, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Paul Maguire
- Nanotechnology
& Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University, Shore Road, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - John T. S. Irvine
- School
of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Mariotti
- Nanotechnology
& Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University, Shore Road, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
McDonald C, Ni C, Maguire P, Connor P, Irvine JTS, Mariotti D, Svrcek V. Nanostructured Perovskite Solar Cells. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2019; 9:nano9101481. [PMID: 31635204 PMCID: PMC6835749 DOI: 10.3390/nano9101481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, lead halide perovskites have emerged as one of the leading photovoltaic materials due to their long carrier lifetimes, high absorption coefficients, high tolerance to defects, and facile processing methods. With a bandgap of ~1.6 eV, lead halide perovskite solar cells have achieved power conversion efficiencies in excess of 25%. Despite this, poor material stability along with lead contamination remains a significant barrier to commercialization. Recently, low-dimensional perovskites, where at least one of the structural dimensions is measured on the nanoscale, have demonstrated significantly higher stabilities, and although their power conversion efficiencies are slightly lower, these materials also open up the possibility of quantum-confinement effects such as carrier multiplication. Furthermore, both bulk perovskites and low-dimensional perovskites have been demonstrated to form hybrids with silicon nanocrystals, where numerous device architectures can be exploited to improve efficiency. In this review, we provide an overview of perovskite solar cells, and report the current progress in nanoscale perovskites, such as low-dimensional perovskites, perovskite quantum dots, and perovskite-nanocrystal hybrid solar cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calum McDonald
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
| | - Chengsheng Ni
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Paul Maguire
- School of Engineering, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT14 8RT, UK.
| | - Paul Connor
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9AJ, UK.
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9AJ, UK.
| | - Davide Mariotti
- School of Engineering, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT14 8RT, UK.
| | - Vladimir Svrcek
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Affiliation(s)
- Eun Jeong Kim
- School of ChemistryUniversity of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST United Kingdom
- ALISTORE-ERI 80039 Amiens Cedex France
| | - David N. Miller
- School of ChemistryUniversity of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST United Kingdom
| | - John T. S. Irvine
- School of ChemistryUniversity of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST United Kingdom
| | - A. Robert Armstrong
- School of ChemistryUniversity of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST United Kingdom
- ALISTORE-ERI 80039 Amiens Cedex France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Han H, Park J, Nam SY, Kim KJ, Choi GM, Parkin SSP, Jang HM, Irvine JTS. Lattice strain-enhanced exsolution of nanoparticles in thin films. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1471. [PMID: 30931928 PMCID: PMC6443801 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09395-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles formed on oxide surfaces are of key importance in many fields such as catalysis and renewable energy. Here, we control B-site exsolution via lattice strain to achieve a high degree of exsolution of nanoparticles in perovskite thin films: more than 1100 particles μm−2 with a particle size as small as ~5 nm can be achieved via strain control. Compressive-strained films show a larger number of exsolved particles as compared with tensile-strained films. Moreover, the strain-enhanced in situ growth of nanoparticles offers high thermal stability and coking resistance, a low reduction temperature (550 °C), rapid release of particles, and wide tunability. The mechanism of lattice strain-enhanced exsolution is illuminated by thermodynamic and kinetic aspects, emphasizing the unique role of the misfit-strain relaxation energy. This study provides critical insights not only into the design of new forms of nanostructures but also to applications ranging from catalysis, energy conversion/storage, nano-composites, nano-magnetism, to nano-optics. Dispersion of metallic nanoparticles is promising for energy conversion and storage, but gaining control of size and distribution is not trivial. Here the authors use lattice mismatch to manipulate exsolution of nanoparticles, achieving a high population of small nanoparticles in perovskite thin films.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon Han
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.,Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Jucheol Park
- Gyeongbuk Science & Technology Promotion Center, Gumi Electronics & Information Technology Research Institute, Gumi, 39171, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yeol Nam
- Gyeongbuk Science & Technology Promotion Center, Gumi Electronics & Information Technology Research Institute, Gumi, 39171, Republic of Korea.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi, 39177, Republic of Korea
| | - Kun Joong Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gyeong Man Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.,1Fcell Inc., Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Stuart S P Parkin
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany.
| | - Hyun Myung Jang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea. .,Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hong X, Tan J, Zhu H, Feng N, Yang Y, Irvine JTS, Wang L, Liu G, Cheng HM. Control of Spatially Homogeneous Distribution of Heteroatoms to Produce Red TiO2
Photocatalyst for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Water Splitting. Chemistry 2019; 25:1787-1794. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201805283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Hong
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Science and Technology of China; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
| | - Jun Tan
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
| | - Huaze Zhu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
| | - Ningdong Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, and Atomic Molecular Physics; Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems; Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430071 P.R. China
| | - Yongqiang Yang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
| | | | - Lianzhou Wang
- Nanomaterials Centre; School of Chemical Engineering and AIBN; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Science and Technology of China; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
| | - Hui-Ming Cheng
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science; Institute of Metal Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 72 Wenhua Road Shenyang 110016 P.R. China
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute; Tsinghua University; 1001 Xueyuan Road Shenzhen 518055 P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Aziz I, Lee J, Duran H, Kirchhoff K, Baker RT, Irvine JTS, Arshad SN. Nanostructured carbons containing FeNi/NiFe2O4 supported over N-doped carbon nanofibers for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. RSC Adv 2019; 9:36586-36599. [PMID: 35539072 PMCID: PMC9075156 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra08053h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts on carbon materials with high durability and low cost have been developed to ameliorate the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) for electrochemical energy applications such as in fuel cells and water electrolysis. Herein, two different morphologies of FeNi/NiFe2O4 supported over hierarchical N-doped carbons were achieved via carbonization of the polymer nanofibers by controlling the ratio of metal salts to melamine: a mixture of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanotubes (GNTs) supported over carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with spherical FeNi encapsulated at the tips (G/CNT@NCNF, 1 : 3), and graphene sheets wrapped CNFs with embedded needle-like FeNi (GS@NCNF, 2 : 3). G/CNT@NCNF shows excellent ORR activity (on-set potential: 0.948 V vs. RHE) and methanol tolerance, whilst GS@NCNF exhibited significantly lower over-potential of only 230 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for OER. Such high activities are due to the synergistic effects of bimetallic NPs encapsulated at CNT tips and N-doped carbons with unique hierarchical structures and the desired defects. Non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts on carbon materials with high durability and low cost have been developed to ameliorate the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen-evolution reaction (OER).![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iram Aziz
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
- Lahore University of Management Sciences
- Lahore 54792
- Pakistan
| | - JinGoo Lee
- EaStChem
- School of Chemistry
- University of St. Andrews
- UK
| | - Hatice Duran
- Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology Engineering
- TOBB University of Economics and Technology
- Ankara
- Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Salman N. Arshad
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
- Lahore University of Management Sciences
- Lahore 54792
- Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Caux M, Menard H, AlSalik YM, Irvine JTS, Idriss H. Photo-catalytic hydrogen production over Au/g-C 3N 4: effect of gold particle dispersion and morphology. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:15974-15987. [PMID: 31294442 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp02241d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Metal/semiconductor interactions affect electron transfer rates and this is central to photocatalytic hydrogen ion reduction. While this interaction has been studied in great detail on metal oxide semiconductors, not much is known of Au particles on top of polymeric semiconductors. The effects of gold nanoparticle size and dispersion on top of g-C3N4 were studied by core and valence level spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy in addition to catalytic tests. The as-prepared, non-calcined catalysts displayed Au particles with uniform dimension (mean particle size = 1.8 nm) and multiple electronic states: XPS Au 4f7/2 lines at 84.9 and 87.1 eV (each with a spin-orbit splitting of 3.6-3.7 eV). These particles, which did not show localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), before the reaction, doubled in size after the reaction giving a pronounced LSPR at about 550 nm. The effect of the heating environment on these particles (in air or in H2) was further investigated. While heating in H2 gave Au nanoparticles of different shapes, heating under O2 gave exclusively spherical particles. Similar activity towards photocatalytic hydrogen ion reduction under UV excitation was seen in both cases, however. XPS Au 4f analyses indicated that an increase in deposition time, during catalyst preparation, resulted in an increase in the initial fraction of oxidized gold particles, which were easily reduced under hydrogen. The valence band region for Au/gC3N4 was further studied in an effort to compare it to what is already known for Au/metal oxide semiconductors. A shift of over 2 eV for the Au 5d doublets was noticed between reduced and oxidized gold particles with mean particle sizes between 2 and 6 nm, which is consistent with the final state effect. A narrow range of gold loading for optimal catalytic performance was seen, where it seems that a density of one Au particle per 10 × 10 nm2 is the most suitable. Particle size and shape had a minor effect on performance, which may indicate the absence of a plasmonic effect on the reaction rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Caux
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
| | - H Menard
- Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Y M AlSalik
- SABIC-Corporate Research and Development (CRD), KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
| | - J T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
| | - H Idriss
- SABIC-Corporate Research and Development (CRD), KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Payne JL, Ni C, Harwell JR, Jagadamma LK, McDonald C, Mariotti D, Samuel IDW, Irvine JTS. Probing the structure-property-composition relationship in organic-inorganic tri-halide perovskites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:20489-20496. [PMID: 30043774 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp01871e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Here, we have synthesised a range of samples, with the formula (CH3NH3)1-2x(H3NC2H4NH3)xPbI3, with different levels of ethylenediammonium substitution to probe non-stoichiometry at the A-site of the perovskite. A single phase region was identified and is accompanied by a change in photophysical properties. The influence of aliovalent substitution with ethylenediammonium results in a decrease in HOMO level from -5.31 eV for x = 0 to -5.88 eV for x = 0.15.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia L Payne
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Niu P, Wu T, Wen L, Tan J, Yang Y, Zheng S, Liang Y, Li F, Irvine JTS, Liu G, Ma X, Cheng HM. Substitutional Carbon-Modified Anatase TiO 2 Decahedral Plates Directly Derived from Titanium Oxalate Crystals via Topotactic Transition. Adv Mater 2018; 30:e1705999. [PMID: 29603436 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201705999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Changing the composition and/or structure of some metal oxides at the atomic level can significantly improve their performance in different applications. Although many strategies have been developed, the introduction of heteroatoms, particularly anions to the internal part of metal oxide particles, is still not adequate. Here, an effective strategy is demonstrated for directly preparing polycrystalline decahedral plates of substitutional carbon-doped anatase TiO2 from titanium (IV) oxalate by a thermally induced topotactic transition in an inert atmosphere. Because of the carbon concentration gradient introduced in side of the plates, the carbon-doped TiO2 (TiO2-x Cx ) shows an increased visible light absorption and a two orders of magnitude higher electrical conductivity than pure TiO2 . Consequently, it can be used as a photocatalyst and an active material for lithium storage and shows much superior activity in generating hydroxyl radicals under visible light and greatly increased electrical-specific capacity at high charge-discharge rates. The strategy developed could also be applicable to the atomic-scale modification of other metal oxides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Niu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Tingting Wu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Lei Wen
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Jun Tan
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yongqiang Yang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Shijian Zheng
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yan Liang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Feng Li
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xiuliang Ma
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Hui-Ming Cheng
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Low-Dimensional Material and Device Laboratory, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, 1001 Xueyuan Road, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Huang X, Zhao G, Wang G, Irvine JTS. Synthesis and applications of nanoporous perovskite metal oxides. Chem Sci 2018; 9:3623-3637. [PMID: 29862001 PMCID: PMC5944822 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc03920d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Perovskite-type metal oxides have been widely investigated and applied in various fields in the past several decades due to their extraordinary variability of compositions and structures with targeted physical and chemical properties (e.g., redox behaviour, oxygen mobility, electronic and ionic conductivity).
Perovskite-type metal oxides have been widely investigated and applied in various fields in the past several decades due to their extraordinary variability of compositions and structures with targeted physical and chemical properties (e.g., redox behaviour, oxygen mobility, electronic and ionic conductivity). Recently, nanoporous perovskite metal oxides have attracted extensive attention because of their special morphology and properties, as well as superior performance. This minireview aims at summarizing and reviewing the different synthesis methods of nanoporous perovskite metal oxides and their various applications comprehensively. The correlations between the nanoporous structures and the specific performance of perovskite oxides are summarized and highlighted. The future research directions of nanoporous perovskite metal oxides are also prospected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiubing Huang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Function Materials for Molecule & Structure Construction , School of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Science and Technology Beijing , Beijing , 100083 , China . .,School of Chemistry , University of St Andrews , St Andrews , KY16 9ST , UK .
| | - Guixia Zhao
- Laboratory of Industrical Chemistry , Ruhr-University Bochum , 44780 , Bochum , Germany
| | - Ge Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Function Materials for Molecule & Structure Construction , School of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Science and Technology Beijing , Beijing , 100083 , China .
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry , University of St Andrews , St Andrews , KY16 9ST , UK .
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
McDonald C, Ni C, Švrček V, Lozac'h M, Connor PA, Maguire P, Irvine JTS, Mariotti D. Zero-dimensional methylammonium iodo bismuthate solar cells and synergistic interactions with silicon nanocrystals. Nanoscale 2017; 9:18759-18771. [PMID: 29168534 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr05764d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Organometal trihalide perovskite solar cells have attracted monumental attention in recent years. Today's best devices, based on a three-dimensional perovskite structure of corner-sharing PbI6 octahedra, are unstable, toxic, and display hysteresis in current-voltage measurements. We present zero-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells based on methylammonium iodo bismuthate (CH3NH3)3(Bi2I9) (MABI) comprising a Bi2I9 bioctahedra and observe very low hysteresis for scan rates in the broad range of 150 mV s-1 to 1500 mV s-1 without any interfacial layer engineering. We confirm good stability for devices produced and stored in open air without humidity control. The MABI structure can also accommodate silicon nanocrystals, leading to an enhancement in the short-circuit current. Through the material MABI, we demonstrate a promising alternative to the organometal trihalide perovskite class and present a model material for future composite third-generation photovoltaics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calum McDonald
- Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre, Ulster University, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - Chengsheng Ni
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Vladimir Švrček
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Mickaël Lozac'h
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Paul A Connor
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Paul Maguire
- Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre, Ulster University, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | | | - Davide Mariotti
- Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre, Ulster University, BT37 0QB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Neagu D, Papaioannou EI, Ramli WKW, Miller DN, Murdoch BJ, Ménard H, Umar A, Barlow AJ, Cumpson PJ, Irvine JTS, Metcalfe IS. Demonstration of chemistry at a point through restructuring and catalytic activation at anchored nanoparticles. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1855. [PMID: 29187751 PMCID: PMC5707356 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01880-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal nanoparticles prepared by exsolution at the surface of perovskite oxides have been recently shown to enable new dimensions in catalysis and energy conversion and storage technologies owing to their socketed, well-anchored structure. Here we show that contrary to general belief, exsolved particles do not necessarily re-dissolve back into the underlying perovskite upon oxidation. Instead, they may remain pinned to their initial locations, allowing one to subject them to further chemical transformations to alter their composition, structure and functionality dramatically, while preserving their initial spatial arrangement. We refer to this concept as chemistry at a point and illustrate it by tracking individual nanoparticles throughout various chemical transformations. We demonstrate its remarkable practical utility by preparing a nanostructured earth abundant metal catalyst which rivals platinum on a weight basis over hundreds of hours of operation. Our concept enables the design of compositionally diverse confined oxide particles with superior stability and catalytic reactivity. Metal nanoparticles prepared by exsolution at the surface of perovskite oxides are key species in catalysis and energy fields. Here, the authors develop a chemistry at a point concept by tracking individual nanoparticles with excellent activity and stability throughout various chemical transformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dragos Neagu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | | | - Wan K W Ramli
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.,School of Bioprocess Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, 02600, Perlis, Malaysia
| | - David N Miller
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Billy J Murdoch
- National EPSRC XPS Users' Service (NEXUS), School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Ahmed Umar
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Anders J Barlow
- National EPSRC XPS Users' Service (NEXUS), School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Peter J Cumpson
- National EPSRC XPS Users' Service (NEXUS), School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK.
| | - Ian S Metcalfe
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Payne JL, Percival JD, Giagloglou K, Crouch CJ, Carins GM, Smith RI, Comrie R, Gover RKB, Irvine JTS. In-SituThermal Battery Discharge using NiS2as a Cathode Material. ChemElectroChem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.201700095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia L. Payne
- School of Chemistry; University of St Andrews; North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| | | | - Kyriakos Giagloglou
- School of Chemistry; University of St Andrews; North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| | - Christina J. Crouch
- School of Chemistry; University of St Andrews; North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
- AWE; Aldermaston Reading RG7 4PR UK
| | - George M. Carins
- School of Chemistry; University of St Andrews; North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| | - Ronald I. Smith
- ISIS Facility; STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; Harwell Campus Didcot OX11 0QX UK
| | - Robert Comrie
- MSB Ltd; Hagmill Road East Shawhead Coatbridge ML5 4UZ UK
| | | | - John T. S. Irvine
- School of Chemistry; University of St Andrews; North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
A direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) can produce electricity with both superior electrical efficiency and fuel utilisation compared to all other types of fuel cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cairong Jiang
- EaStCHEM
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- UK
| | - Jianjun Ma
- EaStCHEM
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- UK
| | - Gael Corre
- EaStCHEM
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- UK
| | - Sneh L. Jain
- EaStCHEM
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Hui J, Zhang G, Ni C, Irvine JTS. Promoting photocatalytic H2 evolution by tuning cation deficiency in La and Cr co-doped SrTiO3. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 53:10038-10041. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cc05144a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A moderate cation deficiency in La and Cr co-doped SrTiO3 can increase the charge carrier mobility and promote the photocatalytic water reduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Hui
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- St Andrews KY16 9ST
- UK
| | - Guan Zhang
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- St Andrews KY16 9ST
- UK
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
| | - Chengsheng Ni
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- St Andrews KY16 9ST
- UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fop S, Skakle JMS, McLaughlin AC, Connor PA, Irvine JTS, Smith RI, Wildman EJ. Oxide Ion Conductivity in the Hexagonal Perovskite Derivative Ba 3MoNbO 8.5. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:16764-16769. [PMID: 27976879 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b10730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Oxide ion conductors are important materials with a range of technological applications and are currently used as electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide electrolyzer cells. Here we report the crystal structure and electrical properties of the hexagonal perovskite derivative Ba3MoNbO8.5. Ba3MoNbO8.5 crystallizes in a hybrid of the 9R hexagonal perovskite and palmierite structures. This is a new and so far unique crystal structure that contains a disordered distribution of (Mo/Nb)O6 octahedra and (Mo/Nb)O4 tetrahedra. Ba3MoNbO8.5 shows a wide stability range and exhibits predominantly oxide ion conduction over a pO2 range from 10-20 to 1 atm with a bulk conductivity of 2.2 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 600 °C. The high level of conductivity in a new structure family suggests that further study of hexagonal perovskite derivatives containing mixed tetrahedral and octahedral geometry could open up new horizons in the design of oxygen conducting electrolytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sacha Fop
- The Chemistry Department, University of Aberdeen , Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, U.K
| | - Janet M S Skakle
- The Chemistry Department, University of Aberdeen , Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, U.K
| | - Abbie C McLaughlin
- The Chemistry Department, University of Aberdeen , Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, U.K
| | - Paul A Connor
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - Ronald I Smith
- ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Harwell, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K
| | - Eve J Wildman
- The Chemistry Department, University of Aberdeen , Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Yang Y, Liu G, Irvine JTS, Cheng HM. Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Production in Core-Shell Engineered Rutile TiO2. Adv Mater 2016; 28:5850-6. [PMID: 27159036 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201600495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A rationally designed crystalline Ti(3+) core/amorphous Ti(4+) shell configuration can reverse the population disparity between holes and electrons reaching the surface of microsized rutile TiO2 photocatalyst, thus significantly enhancing its photocatalytic activity by two orders of magnitude in terms of the hydrogen production rate under the irradiation of UV-vis light.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, HeFei, 230026, China
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Hui-Ming Cheng
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Macias-Montero M, Askari S, Mitra S, Rocks C, Ni C, Svrcek V, Connor PA, Maguire P, Irvine JTS, Mariotti D. Energy band diagram of device-grade silicon nanocrystals. Nanoscale 2016; 8:6623-6628. [PMID: 26939617 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07705b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Device grade silicon nanocrystals (NCs) are synthesized using an atmospheric-pressure plasma technique. The Si NCs have a small and well defined size of about 2.3 nm. The synthesis system allows for the direct creation of thin films, enabling a range of measurements to be performed and easy implementation of this material in different devices. The chemical stability of the Si NCs is evaluated, showing relatively long-term durability thanks to hydrogen surface terminations. Optical and electrical characterization techniques, including Kelvin probe, ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis, are employed to determine the energy band diagram of the Si NCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Macias-Montero
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - S Askari
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - S Mitra
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - C Rocks
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - C Ni
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - V Svrcek
- Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, 305-8568, Japan
| | - P A Connor
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - P Maguire
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| | - J T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK
| | - D Mariotti
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Shin TH, Myung JH, Verbraeken M, Kim G, Irvine JTS. Oxygen deficient layered double perovskite as an active cathode for CO2 electrolysis using a solid oxide conductor. Faraday Discuss 2016; 182:227-39. [PMID: 26247663 DOI: 10.1039/c5fd00025d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A-site ordered PrBaMn2O(5+δ) was investigated as a potential cathode for CO2 electrolysis using a La(0.9)Sr(0.1)Ga(0.8)Mg(0.2)O3 (LSGM) electrolyte. The A-site ordered layered double perovskite, PrBaMn2O(5+δ), was found to enhance electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction on the cathode side since it supports mixed valent transition metal cations such as Mn, which could provide high electrical conductivity and maintain a large oxygen vacancy content, contributing to fast oxygen ion diffusion. It was found that during the oxidation of the reduced PrBaMn2O(5+δ) (O5 phase) to PrBaMn2O(6-δ) (O6 phase), a reversible oxygen switchover in the lattice takes place. In addition, here the successful CO2 electrolysis was measured in LSGM electrolyte with this novel oxide electrode. It was found that this PrBaMn2O(5+δ), layered perovskite cathode exhibits a performance with a current density of 0.85 A cm(-2) at 1.5 V and 850 °C and the electrochemical properties were also evaluated by impedance spectroscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tae Ho Shin
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK. and Electronic Materials Convergence Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering & Technology (KICET), Korea
| | - Jae-Ha Myung
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
| | - Maarten Verbraeken
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
| | - Guntae Kim
- Dept. of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
This review specifically summarizes the recent development of perovskite photocatalysts and their applications in water splitting and environmental remediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guan Zhang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)
- Shenzhen 518055
- China
- School of Chemistry
| | - Gang Liu
- Institute of Metal Research
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Shenyang 110016
- China
| | - Lianzhou Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering
- The University of Queensland
- Brisbane
- Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
Hybrid direct carbon/coal fuel cells (HDCFCs) utilise an anode based upon a molten carbonate salt with an oxide conducting solid electrolyte for direct carbon/coal conversion. They can be fuelled by a wide range of carbon sources, and offer higher potential chemical to electrical energy conversion efficiency and have the potential to decrease CO2 emissions compared to coal-fired power plants. In this study, the application of (La, Sr)(Cr, Mn)O3 (LSCM) and (Gd, Ce)O2 (GDC) oxide anodes was explored in a HDCFC system running with two different carbon fuels, an organic xerogel and a raw bituminous coal. The electrochemical performance of the HDCFC based on a 1–2 mm thick 8 mol% yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and the GDC–LSCM anode fabricated by wet impregnation procedures was characterized and discussed. The infiltrated oxide anode showed a significantly higher performance than the conventional Ni–YSZ anode, without suffering from impurity formation under HDCFC operation conditions. Total polarisation resistance (Rp) reached 0.8–0.9 Ω cm2 from DCFC with an oxide anode on xerogel and bituminous coal at 750 °C, with open circuit voltage (OCV) values in the range 1.1–1.2 V on both carbon forms. These indicated the potential application of LSCM–GDC oxide anode in HDCFCs. The chemical compatibility of LSCM/GDC with carbon/carbonate investigation revealed the emergence of an A2BO4 type oxide in place of an ABO3 perovskite structure in the LSCM in a reducing environment, due to Li attack as a result of intimate contact between the LSCM and Li2CO3, with GDC being stable under identical conditions. Such reaction between LSCM and Li2CO3 was not observed on a LSCM–YSZ pellet treated with Li–K carbonate in 5% H2/Ar at 700 °C, nor on a GDC–LSCM anode after HDCFC operation. The HDCFC durability tests of GDC–LSCM oxide on a xerogel and on raw bituminous coal were performed under potentiostatic operation at 0.7 V at 750 °C. The degradation mechanisms were addressed, especially on raw coal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangling Yue
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- St Andrews
- UK
| | - Ana Arenillas
- Instituto Nacional del Carbon (CSIC)
- 33080 Oviedo
- Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Oh TS, Rahani EK, Neagu D, Irvine JTS, Shenoy VB, Gorte RJ, Vohs JM. Evidence and Model for Strain-Driven Release of Metal Nanocatalysts from Perovskites during Exsolution. J Phys Chem Lett 2015; 6:5106-10. [PMID: 26641667 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b02292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of the surface morphology during exsolution of Ni from the perovskite La0.4Sr0.4Ti0.97Ni0.03O3-δ under reducing conditions was determined using atomic force microscopy. The exsolution process was found to initially induce the formation of a 20-30 nm deep pit on the oxide surface followed by the emergence of a Ni particle at the bottom of the pit. Continued emergence of the particle results in it nearly filling the pit, producing a unique structure in which the Ni particle is socketed into the oxide surface. We also show that this morphological evolution can be explained using a simple energy-based model that accounts for the interplay between the surface free energy and the strain energy induced by the included metal nucleate. The unique socketed structure results in strong anchorage between the exsolved particles and the oxide host lattice, which imparts both high thermal stability and unique catalytic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Sik Oh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 311A Towne Building, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Ehsan K Rahani
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Dragos Neagu
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews , Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews , Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Vivek B Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Raymond J Gorte
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 311A Towne Building, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - John M Vohs
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 311A Towne Building, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhang G, Ni C, Huang X, Welgamage A, Lawton LA, Robertson PKJ, Irvine JTS. Simultaneous cellulose conversion and hydrogen production assisted by cellulose decomposition under UV-light photocatalysis. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 52:1673-6. [PMID: 26661296 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc09075j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Photocatalytic conversion of cellulose to sugars and carbon dioxide with simultaneous production of hydrogen assisted by cellulose decomposition under UV or solar light irradiation was achieved upon immobilization of cellulose onto a TiO2 photocatalyst. This approach enables production of hydrogen from water without using valuable sacrificial agents, and provides the possibility for recovering sugars as liquid fuels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guan Zhang
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Neagu D, Oh TS, Miller DN, Ménard H, Bukhari SM, Gamble SR, Gorte RJ, Vohs JM, Irvine JTS. Nano-socketed nickel particles with enhanced coking resistance grown in situ by redox exsolution. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8120. [PMID: 26360910 PMCID: PMC4579408 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal particles supported on oxide surfaces are used as catalysts for a wide variety of processes in the chemical and energy conversion industries. For catalytic applications, metal particles are generally formed on an oxide support by physical or chemical deposition, or less commonly by exsolution from it. Although fundamentally different, both methods might be assumed to produce morphologically and functionally similar particles. Here we show that unlike nickel particles deposited on perovskite oxides, exsolved analogues are socketed into the parent perovskite, leading to enhanced stability and a significant decrease in the propensity for hydrocarbon coking, indicative of a stronger metal-oxide interface. In addition, we reveal key surface effects and defect interactions critical for future design of exsolution-based perovskite materials for catalytic and other functionalities. This study provides a new dimension for tailoring particle-substrate interactions in the context of increasing interest for emergent interfacial phenomena.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dragos Neagu
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| | - Tae-Sik Oh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - David N Miller
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| | - Hervé Ménard
- Sasol Technology (UK) Ltd., St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| | - Syed M Bukhari
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| | - Stephen R Gamble
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| | - Raymond J Gorte
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - John M Vohs
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST Scotland, UK
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Fina F, Ménard H, Irvine JTS. The effect of Pt NPs crystallinity and distribution on the photocatalytic activity of Pt-g-C3N4. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:13929-36. [PMID: 25948234 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp00560d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Loading of a co-catalyst on the surface of a semiconductor photocatalyst is often carried out without considering the effect of the loading procedure on the final product. The present study looks in detail at the effect that the loading method has on the morphology and final composition of platinum-based nanoparticles by means of XPS and TEM analysis. Additionally, reduction pre-treatments are performed to investigate how the coverage, crystallinity and composition of the NPs affect the photocatalytic H2 evolution. The activity of Pt-g-C3N4 can significantly be enhanced by controlling the properties of the co-catalyst NPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Fina
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Sengodan S, Choi S, Jun A, Shin TH, Ju YW, Jeong HY, Shin J, Irvine JTS, Kim G. Layered oxygen-deficient double perovskite as an efficient and stable anode for direct hydrocarbon solid oxide fuel cells. Nat Mater 2015; 14:205-9. [PMID: 25532072 DOI: 10.1038/nmat4166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Different layered perovskite-related oxides are known to exhibit important electronic, magnetic and electrochemical properties. Owing to their excellent mixed-ionic and electronic conductivity and fast oxygen kinetics, cation layered double perovskite oxides such as PrBaCo2O5 in particular have exhibited excellent properties as solid oxide fuel cell oxygen electrodes. Here, we show for the first time that related layered materials can be used as high-performance fuel electrodes. Good redox stability with tolerance to coking and sulphur contamination from hydrocarbon fuels is demonstrated for the layered perovskite anode PrBaMn2O5+δ (PBMO). The PBMO anode is fabricated by in situ annealing of Pr0.5Ba0.5MnO3-δ in fuel conditions and actual fuel cell operation is demonstrated. At 800 °C, layered PBMO shows high electrical conductivity of 8.16 S cm(-1) in 5% H2 and demonstrates peak power densities of 1.7 and 1.3 W cm(-2) at 850 °C using humidified hydrogen and propane fuels, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprakash Sengodan
- Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| | - Sihyuk Choi
- Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| | - Areum Jun
- Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| | - Tae Ho Shin
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Young-Wan Ju
- Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| | - Hu Young Jeong
- UNIST Central Research Facilities, UNIST, Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| | - Jeeyoung Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 614-714, Korea
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Guntae Kim
- Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
For an efficient high-temperature reversible solid oxide fuel cell (RSOFC), the oxygen electrode should be highly active for the conversion between oxygen anions and oxygen gas. CaMnO3−δ (CM) is a perovskite that can be readily reduced with the formation of Mn3+ giving rise to oxygen defective phases. CM is examined here as the oxygen electrode for a RSOFC. CaMn0.9Nb0.1O3−δ (CMN) with Nb doping shows superior electric conductivity (125 S cm−1 at 700 °C) compared with CM (1–5 S cm−1 at 700 °C) in air which is also examined for comparison. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data show that CM and CMN are compatible with the widely used yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte up to 950 °C. Both materials show a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) close to 10.8–10.9 ppm K−1 in the temperature range between 100–750 °C, compatible with that of YSZ. Polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra for both fuel cell and steam electrolysis modes were investigated at 700 °C, showing that CM presented a polarization resistance of 0.059 Ω cm2 under a cathodic bias of −0.4 V while CMN gave a polarization resistance of 0.081 Ω cm2 under an anodic bias of 0.4 V. The phase stability up to 900 °C of these materials was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and variable temperature XRD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengsheng Ni
- School of Chemistry
- University of St Andrews
- Fife KY16 9ST
- UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Verbraeken MC, Cheung C, Suard E, Irvine JTS. High H⁻ ionic conductivity in barium hydride. Nat Mater 2015; 14:95-100. [PMID: 25485988 DOI: 10.1038/nmat4136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
With hydrogen being seen as a key renewable energy vector, the search for materials exhibiting fast hydrogen transport becomes ever more important. Not only do hydrogen storage materials require high mobility of hydrogen in the solid state, but the efficiency of electrochemical devices is also largely determined by fast ionic transport. Although the heavy alkaline-earth hydrides are of limited interest for their hydrogen storage potential, owing to low gravimetric densities, their ionic nature may prove useful in new electrochemical applications, especially as an ionically conducting electrolyte material. Here we show that barium hydride shows fast pure ionic transport of hydride ions (H(-)) in the high-temperature, high-symmetry phase. Although some conductivity studies have been reported on related materials previously, the nature of the charge carriers has not been determined. BaH2 gives rise to hydride ion conductivity of 0.2 S cm(-1) at 630 °C. This is an order of magnitude larger than that of state-of-the-art proton-conducting perovskites or oxide ion conductors at this temperature. These results suggest that the alkaline-earth hydrides form an important new family of materials, with potential use in a number of applications, such as separation membranes, electrochemical reactors and so on.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chaksum Cheung
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Suard
- Institut Laue-Langevin, BP 156, 6, rue Jules Horowitz 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - John T S Irvine
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| |
Collapse
|