Copper-doped titania photocatalysts for simultaneous reduction of CO2 and production of H-2 from aqueous sulfide

Copper-doped titanium dioxide materials with anatase phase (Cu-TiO2, atomic Cu contents ranging from 0 to 3% relative to the sum of Cu and Ti), and particle sizes of 12-15 nm, were synthesised by a solvo-thermal method using ethanol as the solvent and small amounts of water to promote the hydrolysiscondensation processes. Diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy show that the edges of absorption of the titania materials are somewhat shifted to higher wavelengths due to the presence of Cu. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that Cu(II) is predominant. Photocatalytic CO2 reduction experiments were performed in aqueous Cu-TiO2 suspensions under UV-rich light and in the presence of different solutes. Sulfide was found to promote the efficient production of H-2 from water and formic acid from CO2. The effect of the Cu content on the photoactivity of Cu-TiO2 was also studied, showing that copper plays a role on the photocatalytic reduction of CO2.Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Severo Ochoa and CTQ2012-32315) is gratefully acknowledged. F.G. and B.J.-L. are thankful for financial support from Spanish Government (AP2010-2748 PhD grant and MAT2011-27008 project) and Jaume I University (P1 1B2014-21 project). SCIC from Jaume I University and Servicio de Microscopia Electronica at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia are also acknowledged for instrumental facilities. A.V.P. is grateful to both the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientifficas (CSIC) and the European Social Fund (ESF) for a JAE-Doc postdoctoral grant. Lichen Liu is gratefully acknowledged for assistance in recording HRTEM images.Gonell-Gómez, F.; Puga Vaca, A.; Julián López, B.; García Gómez, H.; Corma Canós, A. (2016). Copper-doped titania photocatalysts for simultaneous reduction of CO2 and production of H-2 from aqueous sulfide. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. 180:263-270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.06.01926327018