X-ray spectroscopies studies of the 3d transition metal oxides and applications of photocatalysis
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Functional Oxides Research Letter
X-ray spectroscopies studies of the 3d transition metal oxides and applications of photocatalysis Yifan Ye†, and Mukes Kapilashrami†, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Cheng-Hao Chuang, Department of Physics, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan Yi-sheng Liu, and Per-Anders Glans, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Jinghua Guo, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA Address all correspondence to Jinghua Guo at [email protected] (Received 2 October 2016; accepted 24 January 2017)
Abstract Recent advances in synchrotron based x-ray spectroscopy enable materials scientists to emanate fingerprints on important materials properties, e.g., electronic, optical, structural, and magnetic properties, in real-time and under nearly real-world conditions. This characterization in combination with optimized materials synthesis routes and tailored morphological properties could contribute greatly to the advances in solid-state electronics and renewable energy technologies. In connection to this, such perspective reflects the current materials research in the space of emerging energy technologies, namely photocatalysis, with a focus on transition metal oxides, mainly on the Fe2O3- and TiO2-based materials.
Introduction In the quest to achieve carbon neutrality and reduce our overall footprints on the environment has become more crucial than ever before to realize new and sustainable green energy technologies, including energy generation, storage, and transportation. Looking into emerging energy technologies from materials research perspective, photocatalysis, often referred as “artificial photosynthesis,” is the light-induced acceleration of a reaction in the presence of a light-sensitive catalyst, similar to how plants use chlorophyll to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose fueled by sunlight.[1] Artificial photosynthesis offers many exciting opportunities for large-scale production of hydrogen gas from water (Fig. 1) and decomposition of water-borne pollutants. As is evident in Fig. 1, crucial challenges associated with photocatalysis include: (i) band gap engineering of the lightsensitive catalyst to optimize the photoelectric effect in the visible wavelength range; (ii) effective separation of photoelectrons and their associated holes preventing their recombination; and (iii) alignment of the relative energy position of the catalyst to that of the reactant in order to discharge the same through a re-dox reaction facilitated by the photoelectrons and holes. Specifically for water splitting, to substantially photocatalyze the reaction without applying external potential, the conduction
† These authors contributed equally to this paper.
band minimum (CBM) of the catalyst should be higher than the potential of dihydrogen evolution
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