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Title: Product selectivity in plasmonic photocatalysis for carbon dioxide hydrogenation

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14542· OSTI ID:1367174

Photocatalysis has not found widespread industrial adoption, in spite of decades of active research, because the challenges associated with catalyst illumination and turnover outweigh the touted advantages of replacing heat with light. A demonstration that light can control product selectivity in complex chemical reactions could prove to be transformative. Here, we show how the recently demonstrated plasmonic behaviour of rhodium nanoparticles profoundly improves their already excellent catalytic properties by simultaneously reducing the activation energy and selectively producing a desired but kinetically unfavourable product for the important carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction. Methane is almost exclusively produced when rhodium nanoparticles are mildly illuminated as hot electrons are injected into the anti-bonding orbital of a critical intermediate, while carbon monoxide and methane are equally produced without illumination. As a result, the reduced activation energy and super-linear dependence on light intensity cause the unheated photocatalytic methane production rate to exceed the thermocatalytic rate at 350°C.

Research Organization:
Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for the Computational Design of Functional Layered Materials (CCDM)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012575
OSTI ID:
1367174
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 8; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 1080 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Alumina‐Supported CoFe Alloy Catalysts Derived from Layered‐Double‐Hydroxide Nanosheets for Efficient Photothermal CO 2 Hydrogenation to Hydrocarbons journal December 2017
Plasmon-Enhanced Electrocatalytic Properties of Rationally Designed Hybrid Nanostructures at a Catalytic Interface journal November 2018
Applications of Phosphorene and Black Phosphorus in Energy Conversion and Storage Devices journal December 2017
Plasmonic Switching of the Reaction Pathway: Visible‐Light Irradiation Varies the Reactant Concentration at the Solid–Solution Interface of a Gold–Cobalt Catalyst journal June 2019
Mechanistic Studies of Plasmon Chemistry on Metal Catalysts journal February 2019
From Solar Energy to Fuels: Recent Advances in Light-Driven C 1 Chemistry journal September 2019
A Photochemical Route towards Metal Sulfide Nanosheets from Layered Metal Thiolate Complexes journal June 2019
Plasmonic Switching of the Reaction Pathway: Visible‐Light Irradiation Varies the Reactant Concentration at the Solid–Solution Interface of a Gold–Cobalt Catalyst journal August 2019
Coupling of Solar Energy and Thermal Energy for Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Status and Prospects journal February 2020
Materials and Mechanisms of Photo-Assisted Chemical Reactions under Light and Dark Conditions: Can Day-Night Photocatalysis Be Achieved? journal February 2018
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Biogenic Methane book January 2017
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The UV Plasmonic Behavior of Rhodium Tetrahedrons—A Numerical Analysis journal September 2019
The UV Plasmonic Behavior of Distorted Rhodium Nanocubes journal December 2017
Localized photodeposition of catalysts using nanophotonic resonances in silicon photocathodes journal January 2018
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Mechanistic Studies of Plasmon Chemistry on Metal Catalysts journal April 2019
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