0000000000289473
AUTHOR
Alberto De Riccardis
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…