Selective CO{sub 2} reduction conjugated with H{sub 2}O oxidation utilizing semiconductor/metal-complex hybrid photocatalysts

Journal Article · Tue Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2013 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4848080· OSTI ID:22261734

Morikawa, T., E-mail: [e-mail]; Sato, S., E-mail: [e-mail]; Arai, T., E-mail: [e-mail]; Uemura, K., E-mail: [e-mail]; Yamanaka, K. I., E-mail: [e-mail]; Suzuki, T. M., E-mail: [e-mail]; Kajino, T., E-mail: [e-mail]; Motohiro, T., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[1]

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1. Toyota Central R and D Labs, Inc., Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192 (Japan)

We developed a new hybrid photocatalyst for CO{sub 2} reduction, which is composed of a semiconductor and a metal complex. In the hybrid photocatalyst, ΔG between the position of conduction band minimum (E{sub CBM}) of the semiconductor and the CO{sub 2} reduction potential of the complex is an essential factor for realizing fast electron transfer from the conduction band of semiconductor to metal complex leading to high photocatalytic activity. On the basis of this concept, the hybrid photocatalyst InP/Ru-complex, which functions in aqueous media, was developed. The photoreduction of CO{sub 2} to formate using water as an electron donor and a proton source was successfully achieved as a Z-scheme system by functionally conjugating the InP/Ru-complex photocatalyst for CO{sub 2} reduction with a TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst for water oxidation. The conversion efficiency from solar energy to chemical energy was ca. 0.04%, which approaches that for photosynthesis in a plant. Because this system can be applied to many other inorganic semiconductors and metal-complex catalysts, the efficiency and reaction selectivity can be enhanced by optimization of the electron transfer process including the energy-band configurations, conjugation conformations, and catalyst structures. This electrical-bias-free reaction is a huge leap forward for future practical applications of artificial photosynthesis under solar irradiation to produce organic species.

• OSTI ID: 22261734
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1568, Issue 1; Conference: International workshop on solar-chemical energy storage (SolChES), Sendai (Japan), 23-28 Jul 2012; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BINDING ENERGY
CARBON DIOXIDE
CATALYSTS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON TRANSFER
IRRADIATION
OXIDATION
PHOTOCATALYSIS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
RUTHENIUM COMPLEXES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR ENERGY
TITANIUM OXIDES