Query: Visible- Light Photoconversion of Carbon Dioxide into Organic Acids in an Aqueous Solution of Carbon Dots

Candidate papers:

abstract: Carbon "quantum" dots (or carbon dots) have emerged as a new class of optical nanomaterials. Beyond the widely reported bright fluorescence emissions in carbon dots, their excellent photoinduced redox properties that resemble those found in conventional semiconductor nanostructures are equally valuable, with photon electron conversion applications from photovoltaics to CO2 photocatalytic reduction. In this work we used gold doped carbon dots from controlled synthesis as water soluble catalysts for a closer examination of the visible light photoconversion of CO2 into small organic acids, including acetic acid (for which the reduction requires many more electrons than that for formic acid) and, more interestingly, for the significantly enhanced photoconversion with higher CO2 pressures over an aqueous solution of the photocatalysts. The results demonstrate the nanoscale semiconductor equivalent nature of carbon dots, with excellent potential in energy conversion applications.
author_names: Sushant Sahu

Yamin Liu

Ping Wang

Christopher E Bunker

Kurukulasuriya Alexius Shiral Fernando

William K Lewis

Elena A Guliants

F Yang

Jinping Wang

Ya-Ping Sun
title: Visible light photoconversion of carbon dioxide into organic acids in an aqueous solution of carbon dots.
venue: Langmuir the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
year: 2014

abstract: Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vass. Constantinou Avenue, 116 35 Athens, Greece, Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, UPR9021 CNRS, Immunologie et Chimie Therapeutiques, 67084 Strasbourg, France, and Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Universita di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
author_names: Dimitrios Tasis

Nikos Tagmatarchis

Alberto Bianco

Maurizio Prato
title: Chemistry of carbon nanotubes.
venue: Chemical reviews
year: 2006

abstract: THE synthesis of molecular carbon structures in the form of C60 and other fullerenes1 has stimulated intense interest in the structures accessible to graphitic carbon sheets. Here I report the preparation of a new type of finite carbon structure consisting of needle like tubes. Produced using an arc discharge evaporation method similar to that used for fullerene synthesis, the needles grow at the negative end of the electrode used for the arc discharge. Electron microscopy reveals that each needle comprises coaxial tubes of graphitic sheets, ranging in number from 2 up to about 50. On each tube the carbon atom hexagons are arranged in a helical fashion about the needle axis. The helical pitch varies from needle to needle and from tube to tube within a single needle. It appears that this helical structure may aid the growth process. The formation of these needles, ranging from a few to a few tens of nanometres in diameter, suggests that engineering of carbon structures should be possible on scales considerably greater than those relevant to the fullerenes.
author_names: Sumio Iijima
title: Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon
venue: Nature
year: 1991

abstract: The past several decades have seen a significant rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels resulting from the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. A solar energy based technology to recycle carbon dioxide into readily transportable hydrocarbon fuel (i.e. a solar fuel) would help reduce atmospheric CO2 levels and partly fulfill energy demands within the present hydrocarbon based fuel infrastructure. We review the present status of carbon dioxide conversion techniques, with particular attention to a recently developed photocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide and water vapor into hydrocarbon fuels using sunlight.
author_names: Somnath Chanda Roy

Oomman K Varghese

Maggie Paulose

Craig A Grimes
title: Toward solar fuels: photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons.
venue: ACS nano
year: 2010

abstract: Increasing atmospheric CO(2) levels have generated much concern, driving the ongoing carbon sequestration effort. A compelling CO(2) sequestration option is its photocatalytic conversion to hydrocarbons, for which the use of solar irradiation represents an ultimate solution. Here we report a new strategy of using surface functionalized small carbon nanoparticles to harvest visible photons for subsequent charge separation on the particle surface in order to drive the efficient photocatalytic process. The aqueous solubility of the catalysts enables photoreduction under more desirable homogeneous reaction conditions. Beyond CO(2) conversion, the nanoscale carbon based photocatalysts are also useful for the photogeneration of H(2) from water under similar conditions.
author_names: Li Cao

Sushant Sahu

Parambath Anilkumar

Christopher E Bunker

Juan Xu

Kurukulasuriya Alexius Shiral Fernando

Ping Wang

Elena A Guliants

Kenneth N Tackett

Ya-Ping Sun
title: Carbon nanoparticles as visible light photocatalysts for efficient CO2 conversion and beyond.
venue: Journal of the American Chemical Society
year: 2011

abstract: The emergence of semiconductor nanocrystals as the building blocks of nanotechnology has opened up new ways to utilize them in next generation solar cells. This paper focuses on the recent developments in the utilization of semiconductor quantum dots for light energy conversion. Three major ways to utilize semiconductor dots in solar cell include (i) metal semiconductor or Schottky junction photovoltaic cell (ii) polymer semiconductor hybrid solar cell, and (iii) quantum dot sensitized solar cell. Modulation of band energies through size control offers new ways to control photoresponse and photoconversion efficiency of the solar cell. Various strategies to maximize photoinduced charge separation and electron transfer processes for improving the overall efficiency of light energy conversion are discussed. Capture and transport of charge carriers within the semiconductor nanocrystal network to achieve efficient charge separation at the electrode surface remains a major challenge. Directing the future resear.
author_names: Prashant V Kamat
title: Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters
year: 2008

abstract: Photocatalysts and Photoelectrodes James L. White, Maor F. Baruch, James E. Pander III, Yuan Hu, Ivy C. Fortmeyer, James Eujin Park, Tao Zhang, Kuo Liao, Jing Gu, Yong Yan, Travis W. Shaw, Esta Abelev, and Andrew B. Bocarsly* +Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States +Chemical and Materials Science Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
author_names: James L White

Maor F Baruch

James E Pander Iii

Yuan Hu

Ivy C Fortmeyer

James Eujin Park

Tao Zhang

Kuo Liao

Jing Gu

Yong Yan

Travis W Shaw

Esta Abelev

Andrew B Bocarsly
title: Light Driven Heterogeneous Reduction of Carbon Dioxide: Photocatalysts and Photoelectrodes.
venue: Chemical reviews
year: 2015

abstract: In recent years, the area of developing visible light active photocatalysts based on titanium dioxide has been enormously investigated due to its wide range of applications in energy and environment related fields. Various strategies have been designed to efficiently utilize the solar radiation and to enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic processes. Building on the fundamental strategies to improve the visible light activity of TiO2 based photocatalysts, this Perspective aims to give an insight into many contemporary developments in the field of visible light active photocatalysis. Various examples of advanced TiO2 composites have been discussed in relation to their visible light induced photoconversion efficiency, dynamics of electron hole separation, and decomposition of organic and inorganic pollutants, which suggest the critical need for further development of these types of materials for energy conversion and environmental remediation purposes.
author_names: Swagata "Ban" Banerjee

Suresh C Pillai

Polycarpos Falaras

Kevin E O'Shea

John Anthony Byrne

Dionysios D Dionysiou
title: New Insights into the Mechanism of Visible Light Photocatalysis.
venue: The journal of physical chemistry letters
year: 2014

abstract: ii DEDICATION iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix LIST OF SCHEMES. xviii
author_names: Sushant Sahu
title: DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF CARBON BASED QUANTUM DOTS FOR CARBON DIOXIDE PHOTOCONVERSION
year: 2014

abstract: World is facing problems of global warming as well as energy crisis. Both these problems can be solved to a reasonable extent by photoreduction of carbon dioxide. Here, photocatalysis enters the scene. Photocatalytic reduction to synthetic organic fuels like formaldehyde, methanol, formic acid, acetic acid, methane, etc. will provide a solution to the problem of energy crisis as it will give us alternate fuels, which can be burnt into fuel cells to generate electricity. Once we get electricity at the cost of carbon dioxide, one can convert this form of energy to any other form of energy. Secondly, it will give a solution to put a check on the increasing amount of carbon dioxide, which is the main culprit of global warming. Any conventional fuel on burring will add some molecules of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but synthetic fuels derived by photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide will not add even a single molecule of carbon dioxide in the environment. It can be considered as a short term loan of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the carbon dioxide molecules utilized in the synthesis of alternate fuels are generated back on burning it in fuel cell.
author_names: Rakshit Ameta

Shikha Panchal

N K Ameta

Suresh C Ameta
title: Photocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
year: 2013