Enhancing photo-generated carriers transfer of K-C_(3)N_(4)/UiO-66-NH_(2) with Er doping for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of furfural to furoic acid

Biomass-derived platform molecules,such as furfural,are abundant and renewable feedstock for valuable chemical production.It is critical to synthesize highly efficient photocatalysts for selective oxidation under visible light.The Er@K-C_(3)N_(4)/UiO-66-NH_(2) catalyst was synthesized using a straight-forward hydrothermal technique,and exhibited exceptional efficiency in the photocatalytic oxidation of furfural to furoic acid.The catalyst was thoroughly characterized,confirming the effective adjustment of the band gap energy of Er@K-C_(3)N_(4)/UiO-66-NH_(2).Upon the optimized reaction conditions,the conversion rate of furfural reached 89.3%,with a corresponding yield of furoic acid at 79.8%.The primary reactive oxygen species was identified as·O_(2)^(-) from ESR spectra and scavenger tests.The incorporation of Er and K into the catalyst enhanced the photogenerated carriers transfer rate,hence increasing the separating efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.This study expands the potential applications of rare earth element doped g-C_(3)N_(4) in the photocatalytic selective oxidation of furfurans.

Hetero-interfaces coupling between FeS and Co_(3)S_(4)with enhanced electrocatalytic activity in water/seawater splitting

Heterojunction catalysts composed of transition metal sulfides exhibited excellent potentials in electrocatalytic water splitting.Herein,we have designed a FeS/Co_(3)S_(4)heterojunction catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in alkaline water/seawater solution.Three-dimensional nanoarrays were grown on nickel foam,and the successful synthesis of heterojunction endowed excellent activity to the catalyst.In alkaline water/seawater solution,the low overpotentials(at current density of 10 mA/cm^(2))of HER were 120.3 and 135.6 mV and the low overpotentials of OER were 212 and 232 mV,respectively.This work provided an effective method for highly-efficiently electrocatalytic splitting of water via fabrication of heterojunction.

Ag nanoparticles anchored organic/inorganic Z‐scheme 3DOMM‐TiO_(2‒x)‐based heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting

Narrow spectral response,low charge separation efficiency and slow water oxidation kinetics of TiO_(2)limit its application in photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic water splitting.Herein,a promising organic/inorganic composite catalyst Ag/PANI/3DOMM‐TiO_(2–x)with a three‐dimensional ordered macro‐and meso‐porous(3DO MM)structure,oxygen vacancy and Ti^(3+)defects,heterojunction formation and noble metal Ag was designed based on the Z‐scheme mechanism and successfully prepared.The Ag/PANI/3DOMM‐TiO_(2–x)ternary catalyst exhibited enhanced hydrogen production activity in both photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting.The photocatalytic hydrogen production rate is 420.90μmol g^(–1)h^(–1),which are 19.80 times and 2.06 times higher than the commercial P25 and 3DOMM‐TiO_(2),respectively.In the photoelectrochemical tests,the Ag/PANI/3DOMM‐TiO_(2–x)photoelectrode shows enhanced separation and transfer of carriers with a high current density of 1.55 mA cm^(–2)at equilibrium potential of 1.23 V under simulated AM 1.5 G illumination,which is approximately 5 times greater than the 3DOMM‐TiO_(2).The present work has demonstrated the promising potential of organic/inorganic Z‐scheme photocatalyst in driving water splitting for hydrogen production.