A research team developed a photocatalyst that boosts the transformation of methane into ethane and hydrogen with high selectivity. The newly constructed photocatalyst enabled durable photocatalytic nonoxidative coupling under mild conditions.
A team of chemists led by Frank Glorius has successfully synthesized new and medically significant small molecular rings using visible light. The innovative approach enables efficient and mild synthesis under mild reaction conditions, offering opportunities for producing active agents.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for extracting hydrogen gas from liquid carriers, making it faster, less expensive and more energy efficient. The new method uses sunlight and a reusable photocatalyst to release hydrogen molecules, reducing the need for rhodium and lowering production costs.
A team of researchers developed a simple yet powerful strategy for creating new enzymes with novel reactivity that can produce valuable chemical compounds. They used photobiocatalysis to repurpose naturally occurring enzymes and achieved an enantioselective biocatalytic reaction.
A breakthrough in green technology has successfully produced both hydrogen gas and hydrogen peroxide simultaneously from sunlight and water using a hematite photocatalyst. This innovation could lead to a solar water-splitting utilization system with greater added value, enabling the widespread adoption of carbon-neutral energy sources.
Researchers have developed a new ligand that promotes a direct nickel-photocatalyzed cross-coupling reaction. This novel tridentate pyridinophane ligand enables the discovery of key reaction steps and intermediate species in the catalytic cycle.
The review discusses optimization strategies for multifunctional graphene-based composite photocatalysts, including decreasing defect density, chemical doping, and depositing cocatalysts. Graphene plays a crucial role in enhancing light absorption, electron transfer dynamics, and surface reactions.
Researchers developed a solid-state photocatalyst using TiO2 and CuO nanoclusters to inactivate various variants of SARS-CoV-2. The material is effective under both darkness and indoor light, making it suitable for reducing COVID-19 infection risk in indoor environments.
Researchers from the University of Münster have successfully performed an unconventional cycloaddition, reacting a carbon-carbon double bond with a strained single bond. This method has significant synthetic benefits, allowing for the creation of polycyclic, three-dimensional carbon scaffolds.
Researchers have developed a sustainable methodology to utilize biomass waste for efficient remediation of antibiotic pollution. Fe-contaminated biomass waste ferns are used to synthesize highly active single atom catalysts, demonstrating an appealing strategy for pollutant control and other applications.
The study investigates the role of Pd-Cu alloy in enhancing photocatalytic H2 evolution in TiO2. The results show that introducing Cu into Pd improves hydrogen desorption by reducing adsorption energy, leading to increased photocatalytic activity.
Recent research has extensively reviewed heterogeneous photocatalysis, a technology that utilizes solar energy to efficiently remove various pollutants. The application of semiconductor modification strategies is crucial for overcoming challenges such as high cost and low solar energy utilization rate.
Researchers from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics developed a highly efficient Z-scheme OWS system, achieving benchmarked apparent quantum efficiency and solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency over particulate inorganic semiconductor photocatalysts driven by visible light. The system utilizes Ir as reduction cocatalyst and ...
A research team has developed a new strategy to create molecular compounds without multi-step syntheses, using a system of three catalysts. The catalysts work together to selectively insert an aryl group into unactivated alkenes, offering a sustainable and efficient solution for organic synthesis.
A team of MIT researchers has created a biohybrid photocatalyst that can mimic photosynthesis, improving the yield of chemical reactions for generating pharmaceuticals. The new catalyst uses a light-harvesting protein to capture energy from red light and transfer it to a metal-containing catalyst.
A research team discovered a quantum confinement effect in a 3D-ordered macroporous structure of BiVO4, enabling hydrogen production under visible light. The study found that the 3DOM structure had higher photocatalysis efficiency and produced more oxygen than its plate-like counterpart.
A team of researchers at Shinshu University has successfully observed proton transfer between the titania surface and a dye molecule during UV light irradiation. The study used time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to measure the formation of basic hydroxyl groups on the titania surface, which accepts protons from the dye.
Scientists fabricate 1D and 2D boron sulfide (BS) nanosheets with unique electronic properties that can be controlled by changing the number of layers. The bandgap energy decreases as more layers are added, making BS a potential n-type semiconductor material.
Researchers develop amide-linked covalent organic frameworks as efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts, improving adsorption capacity and recyclability for dyes in water. The frameworks exhibit high crystallinity and stability, ensuring satisfactory recyclability and outstanding photocatalytic activity under visible light.
Researchers successfully split water using a powder photocatalyst and solar rays in a 100m2 outdoor area, producing solar hydrogen. The system's design and separation performance require improvement to achieve low costs and high efficiency.
Researchers have developed Mo-doped Bi5O7Br nanosheets that significantly improve nitrogen reduction to ammonia under ambient conditions. The material's oxygen vacancies and Mo dopant facilitate N2 capture, activation, and fixation, leading to enhanced photoactivity.
A team from the University of Cambridge developed a nano 'camera' that harnesses light within semiconductor nanocrystals to induce electron transfer processes, allowing for the real-time monitoring of chemical reactions. The platform can be used to study various molecules and their potential applications in renewable energy.
Researchers from India and Saudi Arabia have combined oxidation and photocatalysis to create a heterogeneous photo-Fenton system that degrades phenols at higher rates than individual approaches. The system is highly photostable and reusable, making it promising for practical applications in wastewater purification.
Researchers highlight the potential of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in solar-to-fuel production, converting sunlight into hydrogen and other fuels. COF-based photocatalysts have shown promising properties, including improved catalysis and electron delocalization, making them a viable solution for future energy needs.
A team of researchers at Tokyo University of Science has developed a stable and highly active photocatalyst from gold nanoclusters. By removing the protective molecules around the nanoclusters, they were able to increase their catalytic activity and stability, opening up new possibilities for hydrogen generation and other applications.
Researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology have developed a highly durable and efficient water splitting cell using titanium oxide and p-type cubic SiC photocatalysts in a tandem structure. The study achieved a maximum solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.74% and demonstrated durability of over 100 days.
Researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology found that moderately Nb-doped SrTiO3 has a lower surface recombination and higher energy conversion than pure SrTiO3. This could lead to more efficient sustainable sources of energy.
Researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology have created a photocatalyst that efficiently uses visible light from the sun to decompose CO2. The breakthrough uses single-walled carbon nanotubes to improve electron transfer pathways and synthesis processes, enabling large-scale manufacturing.
Researchers from Osaka University have successfully developed an organic reaction that selectively converts a specific carbon-fluorine bond in perfluorinated compounds to other functional groups. This breakthrough enables the synthesis of high-value fluorine-containing drugs, addressing a significant challenge in pharmaceutical applica...
Researchers developed a novel solar energy-driven method to produce ethylene glycol (EG) from methanol, offering a sustainable and clean alternative. The catalyst, nitrogen-doped tantalum oxide, demonstrated high activity and stability for EG production, making it an environmentally friendly candidate for industrial applications.
Researchers at Arizona State University have explored the molecular dynamics of titania clusters to develop more efficient photocatalysts. The key to advances in this field lies in extending the time electrons persist in an excited state, enabling titania to act as a catalyst.
Researchers have developed a highly-efficient water decomposition reaction using BaTaO2N photocatalyst, achieving nearly 100 times the efficiency of conventional methods. The new method involves sequential cocatalyst decoration on the surface of BaTaO2N particles, resulting in high dispersion and improved hydrogen production.
Research reveals that the surface site and corresponding adsorbed methanol species determine the interfacial charge transfer process and photocatalytic efficiency in anatase TiO2 nanocrystals. Surface structure engineering of photocatalysts is proposed as a method to maximize efficiencies.
A research team has proposed new testing standards for particulate photocatalysts in solar fuel production, aiming to improve the efficiency and reliability of this technology. The standards will provide a reliable guide for large-scale implementation and further promote research advances in the field.
Researchers from Skoltech and international partners study crystal structure and optical properties of new two-dimensional compounds for energy conversion. The study used advanced imaging equipment to analyze the material's structure, leading to potential improvements in photocatalytic activity.
The study reveals that a complex salt of bismuth hexabromide is the true active photocatalytic species involved in Bi2O3-driven atom-transfer radical addition (ATRA) reactions. This finding paves the way for more efficient and sustainable catalysis in organic transformations.
Phosphonate functional groups on La,Rh:STO surface supply protons to active site, enhancing hydrogen production activity. Bulk phosphate buffer solution reduces activity in this design.
Researchers at Tokyo University of Science devise a new electrochemical technology to manufacture ammonia-based fertilizer from urea, addressing the problem of food production in closed environments. The study aims to provide a solid basis for sustaining long-term stay in extremely closed spaces such as space stations.
Researchers found that double element co-doped CQDs can capture photogenerated electrons, reducing fluorescence and improving carrier separation. The kinetic constant of PNCQDs/TiO2 reached 3.4 times that of pure TiO2 under simulated sunlight.
Researchers at Kyoto University discovered a method to introduce defects into perovskite oxynitrides using strain, altering their physical properties. The approach could aid in developing photocatalysts.
Researchers at Kobe University developed a high-speed detection method to observe oxygen generated by artificial photosynthesis, revealing the mechanism behind water-to-oxygen reaction. The new method is 1000 times faster than conventional methods and could contribute to developing efficient photocatalysts for clean energy.
Researchers have developed a single-atom alloy co-catalyst that significantly enhances photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. By precisely controlling the Pt content in the Pd@Pt/MOF composite, they achieved an exceptionally high photocatalytic activity, surpassing its counterparts.
The study found that titanate nanotubes (TNTs) composites exhibit superior photocatalytic performance in generating hydrogen from formic acid, outperforming titanium dioxide (TiO2). The high surface area of TNTs enables improved adsorption and interaction with platinum, leading to enhanced selectivity and efficiency.
Researchers at USTC have designed a simple method to synthesize single crystalline wurtzite CZIS and CZGS nanobelts with exposed (0001) facets, showing excellent photocatalytic performances under visible-light irradiation. This work demonstrates the significance of surface engineering in quaternary sulfide photocatalysts.
Researchers have developed a simple, environmentally friendly process to produce well-defined linear and star-shaped polymers with ultrahigh molecular weights from nonconjugated monomers. The photoenzymatic RAFT polymerization method offers outstanding control over composition, molecular weight, and architecture.
Researchers have developed efficient photocatalysts that can clean surfaces, sterilize medical instruments, and purify water under visible radiation. The new catalysts use natural aluminosilicate nanotubes with cadmium sulfide quantum dots, showing promise for environmental applications.
Gallium nitride is a flawed water splitting photocatalyst due to photocorrosion damage. Combining it with iron oxide improves its working lifetime and hydrogen production rate by five times.
Scientists have developed a plasmonic photocatalyst with a nanocavity that accumulates charges, improving the efficiency of water oxidation reactions. The discovery could lead to more efficient conversion of renewable sunlight into useful fuels and chemicals.
Researchers from Xinjiang University developed a new core-shell nanocatalyst Au@CDs for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic nitrogen fixation, showing a 3.5-fold increase in activity compared to bare CDs.
Researchers develop a photocatalytic system that utilizes sunlight to drive chemical reactions, producing hydrogen fuel from water. The system achieves 100% conversion of sunlight to hydrogen with a single nanoparticle producing 360,000 molecules per hour.
A team of scientists led by prof. Juan Carlos Colmenares developed an efficient reactive adsorbent that can purify air from various toxic compounds cheaply and effectively. The material, made from titanium dioxide and graphite oxide, uses photocatalysis to break down toxins into less harmful elements.
Researchers at Kazan Federal University developed stable organo-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites that can effectively degrade toxic dyes in water. The composites, combining titanium oxide and noble metals, show a synergistic effect, increasing photodegradation efficiency up to 94%.
Researchers have developed a new photocatalyst that can generate hydrogen from water with high efficiency, using nanoscale metal oxide sheets and a ruthenium dye molecule. The material works under visible light, the main component of sunlight, and has a record-breaking turnover frequency and external quantum yield.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Science improve light-driven water-splitting to produce hydrogen by etching the reaction catalyst with plasma jets in solution. This technique enhances the properties of BiVO4 nanocrystals, resulting in better catalytic performance and improved water splitting.
Scientists developed hollow structured photocatalysts with controllable spatial location of active metals, chemical compositions, and tunable shell thickness. AuPt@HMZS nanoreactors exhibited excellent catalytic activity in cinnamyl alcohol oxidation under visible light.
Researchers have introduced a new concept for designing photocatalytic systems with reversed configurations, which significantly improve light absorption, charge separation, and surface catalysis. This design concept can be extended to other systems and reactions to promote solar-to-chemical conversion.
Scientists successfully produced a photoanode with extremely high conductivity by annealing hematite mesocrystals to a transparent electrode substrate. This enabled the separation of electrons and holes quickly, promoting the oxidation reaction and achieving the world's highest solar water-splitting performance.
Scientists develop a simple method to modify graphitic carbon nitride, improving its catalytic and electrocatalytic performance. This advancement has potential applications in environmental pollution treatment and renewable energy production.
Researchers have developed a wide-spectrum responsive Bi8(CrO4)O11 nanorod photocatalyst with exceptional performance in water oxidation and pollutant degradation. The new material enables efficient conversion of sunlight into chemical energy, facilitating the simultaneous degradation and mineralization of pollutants.
A new photocatalyst material converts methane into synthesis gas at lower temperatures than traditional thermal reactors, avoiding aggregation and coking issues. This eco-friendly development has significant implications for reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy applications.