Layered Double Hydroxides as Highly Efficient Photocatalysts for Visible Light Oxygen Generation from Water

Oxygen generation through photocatalytic water splitting under visible light irradiation is a challenging process. In this work we have synthesized a series of Zn/Ti, Zn/Ce, and Zn/Cr layered double hydroxides (LDH) at different Zn/metal atomic ratio (from 4:2 to 4:0.25) and tested them for the visi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Chemical Society 2009-09, Vol.131 (38), p.13833-13839
Main Authors: Silva, Cláudia Gomes, Bouizi, Younès, Fornés, Vicente, García, Hermenegildo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical Sciences
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Oxygen generation through photocatalytic water splitting under visible light irradiation is a challenging process. In this work we have synthesized a series of Zn/Ti, Zn/Ce, and Zn/Cr layered double hydroxides (LDH) at different Zn/metal atomic ratio (from 4:2 to 4:0.25) and tested them for the visible light photocatalytic oxygen generation. The most active material was found to be (Zn/Cr)LDH with an atomic ratio of 4:2 that exhibits two absorption bands in the visible region at λmax of 410 and 570 nm. It was found that the efficiency of these chromium layered double oxides for oxygen generation increases asymptotically with the Cr content. Using iron oxalate as chemical actinometer we have determined that the apparent quantum yields for oxygen generation (Φapparent = 4 × mol oxygen/mol incident photons) are of 60.9% and 12.2% at 410 and 570 nm, respectively. These quantum yields are among the highest values ever determined with visible light for solid materials in the absence of light harvesting dye. The overall efficiency of (Zn/Cr)LDH for visible light oxygen generation was found to be 1.6 times higher than that of WO3 under the same conditions.
ISSN:0002-7863
1520-5126
DOI:10.1021/ja905467v