Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation
Abstract The application of photoelectrochemical cells to the partial oxidation of biomass represents a promising avenue as a sustainable process for obtaining valuable products. However, achieving both efficient conversion rates and high selectivity of desired products remains a great challenge. In...
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| Language: | English |
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Wiley-VCH
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Advanced Materials Interfaces |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202400583 |
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| author | Claudio M. Pecoraro Siming Wu Monica Santamaria Patrik Schmuki |
| author_facet | Claudio M. Pecoraro Siming Wu Monica Santamaria Patrik Schmuki |
| author_sort | Claudio M. Pecoraro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The application of photoelectrochemical cells to the partial oxidation of biomass represents a promising avenue as a sustainable process for obtaining valuable products. However, achieving both efficient conversion rates and high selectivity of desired products remains a great challenge. In this study, the photoelectrochemical oxidation of glycerol is investigated to produce dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the primary target using TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) as the photoanode. Nitrogen doping is used to modify the TiO2 NTs, resulting in enhanced visible light photoactivity in N‐doped NTs. These N‐doped NTs exhibit a high selectivity toward DHA and show a remarkable faradaic efficiency when irradiated with light at a wavelength of 450 nm, i.e., light that excites N‐related states in the band gap of TiO2. The N‐doped material also exhibits remarkable stability over prolonged reaction periods. The superior performance of N‐doped NTs can be attributed to the band‐engineering effects induced by nitrogen doping. Specifically, N‐doping leads to an upward shift of the valence band, thereby adjusting the exit energy levels of photogenerated holes that result in a high selectivity toward glycerol conversion to DHA. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1129441cd49d4a2288511af7ba3c3406 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2196-7350 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley-VCH |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Materials Interfaces |
| spelling | doaj-art-1129441cd49d4a2288511af7ba3c34062025-02-03T13:24:06ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Materials Interfaces2196-73502025-02-01123n/an/a10.1002/admi.202400583Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol OxidationClaudio M. Pecoraro0Siming Wu1Monica Santamaria2Patrik Schmuki3Department of Materials Science and Engineering Chair for Surface Science and Corrosion (WW4‐LKO) Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen GermanyDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering Chair for Surface Science and Corrosion (WW4‐LKO) Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen GermanyDipartimento di Ingegneria Università degli Studi di Palermo Viale delle Scienze Edificio 6 Palermo 90128 ItalyDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering Chair for Surface Science and Corrosion (WW4‐LKO) Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen GermanyAbstract The application of photoelectrochemical cells to the partial oxidation of biomass represents a promising avenue as a sustainable process for obtaining valuable products. However, achieving both efficient conversion rates and high selectivity of desired products remains a great challenge. In this study, the photoelectrochemical oxidation of glycerol is investigated to produce dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the primary target using TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) as the photoanode. Nitrogen doping is used to modify the TiO2 NTs, resulting in enhanced visible light photoactivity in N‐doped NTs. These N‐doped NTs exhibit a high selectivity toward DHA and show a remarkable faradaic efficiency when irradiated with light at a wavelength of 450 nm, i.e., light that excites N‐related states in the band gap of TiO2. The N‐doped material also exhibits remarkable stability over prolonged reaction periods. The superior performance of N‐doped NTs can be attributed to the band‐engineering effects induced by nitrogen doping. Specifically, N‐doping leads to an upward shift of the valence band, thereby adjusting the exit energy levels of photogenerated holes that result in a high selectivity toward glycerol conversion to DHA.https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202400583biomassnanotubesN‐dopingphotoelectrocatalysisTiO2 |
| spellingShingle | Claudio M. Pecoraro Siming Wu Monica Santamaria Patrik Schmuki Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation Advanced Materials Interfaces biomass nanotubes N‐doping photoelectrocatalysis TiO2 |
| title | Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation |
| title_full | Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation |
| title_fullStr | Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation |
| title_short | Bandgap Engineering of TiO2 for Enhanced Selectivity in Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation |
| title_sort | bandgap engineering of tio2 for enhanced selectivity in photoelectrochemical glycerol oxidation |
| topic | biomass nanotubes N‐doping photoelectrocatalysis TiO2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202400583 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT claudiompecoraro bandgapengineeringoftio2forenhancedselectivityinphotoelectrochemicalglyceroloxidation AT simingwu bandgapengineeringoftio2forenhancedselectivityinphotoelectrochemicalglyceroloxidation AT monicasantamaria bandgapengineeringoftio2forenhancedselectivityinphotoelectrochemicalglyceroloxidation AT patrikschmuki bandgapengineeringoftio2forenhancedselectivityinphotoelectrochemicalglyceroloxidation |