Development of a Bench-top Gas Analysis System for the Study of Plasmonically-enhanced UV Photocatalysis of Molecules
Abstract
The objective of this proposal is to develop sustainable, environmentally benign catalytic chemical processes using plasmonic photocatalysts. Plasmonic nanoparticles are characterized by the strong light absorption through the excitation of collective electron oscillations, called localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The LSPR can further generate energetic electrons, which can be transferred from the metal nanoparticles to the adsorbed reactant molecules to drive chemical reactions. With the help of light, the chemical reactions can be operated at significantly lower temperature compared to reactions solely driven by thermal energy. This lower operating temperature requires less energy input and also elongates the lifetime of the catalysts to meet the goals of sustainable and environmentally benign chemical processes. To widen the scope of plasmonic photocatalysis, the P.I., Professor Jie Liu, of Duke University will use the equipment to study photocatalytic reactions with rhodium (Rh) nanoparticles, possessing both versatile catalytic activities and tunable plasmonic properties. The chemical reaction being studied is the carbon dioxide hydrogenation, namely the reaction between carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce high value products such as methane. The Rh nanoparticles supported on metal oxides are used as photocatalysts and loaded into the sample cup in the purchased reaction chamber. The reaction temperature and light illumination are varied to study the effects of reaction conditions on the rate of plasmonic photocatalytic reactions. The knowledge of reaction mechanism of plasmonic photocatalytic reactions from this effort, e.g., how light is used to generate hot electrons and how hot electrons are transferred to the reactant molecules, will help designing new high-performance plasmonic photocatalysts. The excellent catalytic properties of Rh nanoparticles will also extend the scope of chemical reactions that can be driven by plasmonic photocatalytic processes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1510320
Entities
People
- Jie Liu
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Duke University
- United States Army