0000000000289470
AUTHOR
Lucia D'accolti
Turning lipophilic phthalocyanines/TiO2 composites into efficient photocatalysts for the conversion of CO2 into formic acid under UV–vis light irradiation
Metal-free, Cu(II)- or Zn(II) tetrakis [4-(2,4-bis-(1,1-dimethylpropyl)phenoxy)]phthalocyanines loaded over TiO2 (anatase) proved to be active in the photoreduction of CO2 to formic acid (HCO2H) in water under UV-vis light. CuPc/TiO2 is catalyst of choice, allowing to reach a maximum yield of HCO2H, unequalled by any other similar catalytic systems. Because of their low environmental impact, low potential cost, and efficient power conversion, these multipurpose materials show promise in the setup of sustainable methods for CO2 valorization. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Photoreduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid in aqueous suspension: a comparison between phthalocyanine/TiO2 and porphyrin/TiO2 catalysed processes
Composite materials prepared by loading polycrystalline TiO2 powders with lipophilic highly branched Cu(II)- and metal-free phthalocyanines or porphyrins, which have been used in the past as photocatalysts for photodegradative processes, have been successfully tested for the efficient photoreduction of carbon dioxide in aqueous suspension affording significant amounts of formic acid. The results indicated that the presence of the sensitizers is beneficial for the photoactivity, confirming the important role of Cu(II) co-ordinated in the middle of the macrocycles. A comparison between Cu(II) phthalocyanines and Cu(II) porphyrins indicated that the Cu(II)- phthalocyanine sensitizer was more e…
One-pot synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles supported on halloysite nanotubes for catalytic applications
Abstract A versatile catalyst based on halloysite and zinc oxide (HNT@ZnO) was prepared, for the first time, starting from ZnO commercial bulk form as Zn precursor source, in a one-pot procedure. This strategy gives the possibility to obtain small ZnO nanoparticles loaded on the HNT surface without the use of inorganic salts which envisage the removal of undesired anions and therefore a calcination process at high temperature. It was found that the presence of halloysite improved the UV–vis spectral absorption ability of ZnO. The hybrid was successful used as photocatalyst for the methylorange and rhodamine B degradation. In addition, after eight consecutive cycles for the methylorange phot…