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Solar-driven production of renewable energy (e.g., H2) has been investigated for decades. To date, the applications are limited by low efficiency due to rapid charge recombination (both radiative and nonradiative modes) and slow reaction rates. Tremendous efforts have been focused on reducing the radiative recombination and enhancing the interfacial charge transfer by engineering the geometric and electronic structure of the photocatalysts. However, fine-tuning of nonradiative recombination processes and optimization of target reaction paths still lack effective control. Here we show that minimizing the nonradiative relaxation and the adsorption energy of photogenerated surface-adsorbed hydrogen atoms are essential to achieve a longer lifetime of the charge carriers and a faster reaction rate, respectively. Such control results in a 16-fold enhancement in photocatalytic H2 evolution and a 15-fold increase in photocurrent of the crystalline g-C3N4 compared to that of the amorphous g-C3N4.

Facile C-C bond formation is essential to the formation of long hydrocarbon chains in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Various chain growth mechanisms have been proposed previously, but spectroscopic identification of surface intermediates involved in C-C bond formation is scarce. We here show that the high CO coverage typical of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis affects the reaction pathways of C2Hx adsorbates on a Co(0001) model catalyst and promote C-C bond formation. In-situ high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that a high CO coverage promotes transformation of C2Hx adsorbates into the ethylidyne form, which subsequently dimerizes to 2-butyne. The observed reaction sequence provides a mechanistic explanation for CO-induced ethylene dimerization on supported cobalt catalysts. For Fischer-Tropsch synthesis we propose that C-C bond formation on the close-packed terraces of a cobalt nanoparticle occurs via methylidyne (CH) insertion into long chain alkylidyne intermediates, the latter being stabilized by the high surface coverage under reaction conditions., The mechanism by which C-C bonds form during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis remains debated while spectroscopic identification of reaction intermediates remains scarce. Here, the authors identify alkylidynes as reactive intermediates for C-C bond formation on cobalt terrace sites and moreover show that these intermediates are stabilized by the high surface coverage typical for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

The oxygen evolution complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) is intrinsically more active than any synthetic alternative for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A crucial question to solve for the progress of artificial photosynthesis is to understand the influential interactions during water oxidation in PSII. We study the principles of interatomic electron transfer steps in OER, with emphasis on exchange interactions, revealing the influence of delocalizing ferromagnetic spin potentials during the catalytic process. The OEC is found to be an exchange coupled mixed-valence electron-spin acceptor where its orbital physics determine the unique activity of PSII. The two unpaired electrons needed in the triplet O2 molecule interact with the high spin state of the catalyst via exchange interactions; the optimal ferromagnetic catalyst and the resulting radical intermediates are spin paired. As a result, the active center of the CaMn4O5 cofactor, stimulated by the driving potential provided by photons, works as...

Catalytic glycerol conversion by means of either photon or thermal energy is of great importance and can be realized by metal supported on TiO2 systems. Although various procedures have been employed to synthesize efficient metal/TiO2 catalysts, the promotional mechanisms for both reactions are still unclear due to the lack of well-defined systems. Here, we have deposited gold nanoparticles on a series of highly crystalline anatase TiO2 substrates with different crystallite sizes (7, 12, 16, 28 nm) by both direct precipitation and sol-immobilization methods to examine the effect of metal deposition methods and TiO2 sizes on both photo- and thermal catalytic glycerol reforming. For photocatalytic H2 evolution from glycerol, optimum performance was observed for the Au supported on 12 nm TiO2 for both deposition methods. For thermal catalytic glycerol oxidation, all catalysts show a similar selectivity to glycerate (>70%) regardless of the TiO2 size and metal deposition method; however, the metal deposition method significantly influences the catalytic activity. In situ UV-vis spectrometry reveals that the optimized photocatalytic performance originates from enhanced charge transfer kinetics and a more negative Fermi level for proton reduction, whereas electrochemical analysis reveals that the promoted glycerol oxidation is caused by the enhanced oxygen reduction half-reaction.

Photocatalytic organic conversions involving a hydrogen transfer (HT) step have attracted much attention, but the efficiency and selectivity under visible light irradiation still needs to be significantly enhanced. Here we have developed a noble metal-free, basic-site engineered bismuth oxybromide [Bi24O31Br10(OH)] that can accelerate the photocatalytic HT step in both reduction and oxidation reactions, i.e., nitrobenzene to azo/azoxybenzene, quinones to quinols, thiones to thiols, and alcohols to ketones under visible light irradiation and ambient conditions. Remarkably, quantum efficiencies of 42% and 32% for the nitrobenzene reduction can be reached under 410 and 450 nm irradiation, respectively. The Bi24O31Br10(OH) photocatalyst also exhibits excellent performance in up-scaling and stability under visible light and even solar irradiation, revealing economic potential for industrial applications.

The oxidation state of Cu nanoparticles during CO oxidation in CO + O2 gas mixtures was sensitively monitored via localized surface plasmon resonances. A microreactor, equipped with in situ UV-vis and mass spectrometry, was developed and used for the measurements. Cu nanoparticles of ∼30 nm average diameter were supported on optically transparent, planar quartz wafers. The aim of the study is 2-fold: (i) to demonstrate the performance and usefulness of the setup and (ii) to use the combined strength of model catalysts and in situ measurements to investigate the correlation between the catalyst oxidation state and its reactivity. Metallic Cu is significantly more active than both Cu(I) and Cu(II) oxides. The metallic Cu phase is only maintained under conditions where close to full oxygen conversion is achieved. This implies that kinetic measurements, aimed at determining the apparent activation energy for metallic Cu under realistic steady-state conditions, are difficult or impossible to perform.

A well-defined model catalyst constituting a compromise between high surface area, porous, industrial catalysts and a planar model catalyst has been developed. It allows for measurements of catalytic activity in micro reactors, where diffusion problems are kept at a minimum, while characterization both by surface science techniques and by bulk techniques can be applied. Monodisperse, non-porous SiO 2 microspheres with diameter 875 ± 25 nm have been synthesized, serving as the large area model support. These where then impregnated with pre-formed, monodisperse, colloidal Fe and FeMn nanoparticles resulting in a three-dimensional equivalent of a flat, Fe(-Mn)/SiO 2 model catalysts. Characterization with electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), before and after catalytic testing was performed. It was shown that the model catalysts can be used in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis experiments under industrially relevant conditions. The FTS experiments reveal that compared to the pure Fe catalyst, FeMn shows more stable activity, higher selectivity towards olefins and lower selectivity toward CH 4 and CO 2. Significant amounts of hydrocarbons on the catalyst surfaces and some minor indications of sintering were detected after the reaction. Formation of FeC x was detected for the Fe catalyst while no significant amounts could be seen on the Mn-promoted catalyst.