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Molecules
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Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization
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Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Photochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2019) | Viewed by 24850

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Björn Åkermark

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Guest Editor
Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: artificial photosynthesis; heterogeneous catalysis; homogeneous catalysis; oxidation; photochemistry; water oxidation
Dr. Eric V. Johnston

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: artificial photosynthesis; heterogeneous catalysis; homogeneous catalysis; oxidation; water oxidation
Dr. Markus D. Kärkäs

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Guest Editor
Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: artificial photosynthesis; homogeneous catalysis; nitrogen-centered radicals; photocatalysis; water oxidation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solar energy constitutes an alternative and sustainable energy source. Realizing an efficient method for converting sunlight into chemical energy is a key step towards large-scale solar energy utilization. For several decades, the natural photosynthetic system has been a source of inspiration for the development of artificial systems that are able to harness sunlight and store the energy in chemical bonds. Artificial photosynthesis is currently a topic of intense interest with the aim of producing carbon-neutral fuels through light-driven water splitting. In this Special Issue, recent achievements in water oxidation, hydrogen production and CO2 reduction using heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts will be highlighted.

Prof. Dr. Björn Åkermark
Dr. Eric V. Johnston
Dr. Markus D. Kärkäs
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • artificial photosynthesis
  • CO2 reduction
  • electrocatalysis
  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • homogeneous catalysis
  • O–O bond formation
  • water oxidation
  • water splitting

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1496 KiB  
Article
An Unexpected Iron (II)-Based Homogeneous Catalytic System for Highly Efficient CO2-to-CO Conversion under Visible-Light Irradiation
by Zi-Cheng Fu, Cheng Mi, Yan Sun, Zhi Yang, Quan-Qing Xu and Wen-Fu Fu
Molecules 2019, 24(10), 1878; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101878 - 16 May 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3440
Abstract
We present two as-synthesized Fe(II)-based molecular catalysts with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligands; Fe(phen)3Cl2 (1) and [Fe(phen)2(CH3CH2OH)Cl]Cl (2), and their robust catalytic properties for the conversion of CO2 to CO in [...] Read more.
We present two as-synthesized Fe(II)-based molecular catalysts with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligands; Fe(phen)3Cl2 (1) and [Fe(phen)2(CH3CH2OH)Cl]Cl (2), and their robust catalytic properties for the conversion of CO2 to CO in DMF/TEOA (DMF = N,N’-dimethylformamide; TEOA = triethanolamine) solution containing Ru(bpy)32+ and BIH (1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3- dihydro-1H-benzo-[d]-imidazole). High turnover numbers (TONs) of 19,376 were achieved with turnover frequencies (TOFs) of 3.07 s−1 for complex 1 (1.5 × 10−7 M). A quantum efficiency of 0.38% was observed after 5 h irradiated by 450 nm monochromatic light. The generation rate of CO2 and H2 were tuned by optimizing the experimental conditions, resulting in a high CO selectivity of 90%. The remarkable contribution of the photosensitizer to the total TONCO was found being 19.2% (as shown by tests under similar conditions without catalysts) when BIH was employed as a sacrificial electron donor. The product selectivity in complex 2 reached 95%, and the corresponding TONCO and TOFCO were 33,167 and 4.61 s−1 in the same concentration with complex 1 used as catalyst; respectively. This work provides guidance for future designs of simple, highly efficient and selective molecular catalytic systems that facilitate carbon-neutral solar-to-fuel conversion processes Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization)
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10370 KiB  
Article
Recyclable Magnetic Titania Nanocomposite from Ilmenite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
by Tianjie Hong, Jun Mao, Feifei Tao and Mingxuan Lan
Molecules 2017, 22(12), 2044; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22122044 - 23 Nov 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5310
Abstract
Using ilmenite as a raw material, iron was converted into Fe3O4 magnetic fluid, which further was combined with titanium filtrate by a solvothermal method. Finally Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites with the uniform size of 100–200 nm were [...] Read more.
Using ilmenite as a raw material, iron was converted into Fe3O4 magnetic fluid, which further was combined with titanium filtrate by a solvothermal method. Finally Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites with the uniform size of 100–200 nm were prepared. This approach uses rich, inexpensive ilmenite as a titanium and iron source, which effectively reduces the production cost. The crystal structure, chemical properties and morphologies of the products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis, XPS and VSM. The novel photocatalyst composed of face-centered cubic Fe3O4 and body-centered tetragonal anatase–TiO2 exhibits a spherical shape with porous structures, superparamagnetic behavior and strong absorption in the visible light range. Using the degradation reaction of Rhodamine B (RhB) to evaluate the photocatalytic performance, the results suggest that Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities and stability under visible light and solar light. Moreover, the magnetic titania nanocomposites displayed good magnetic response and were recoverable over several cycles. Based on the trapping experiments, the main active species in the photocatalytic reaction were confirmed and the possible photocatalytic mechanism of RhB with magnetic titania was proposed. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability, combined with excellent magnetic recoverability, make the prepared nanocomposite a potential candidate in wastewater purification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization)
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Review

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7 pages, 1529 KiB  
Review
Iron Is the Active Site in Nickel/Iron Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts
by Bryan M. Hunter, Jay R. Winkler and Harry B. Gray
Molecules 2018, 23(4), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23040903 - 14 Apr 2018
Cited by 66 | Viewed by 8153
Abstract
Efficient catalysis of the oxygen-evolution half-reaction (OER) is a pivotal requirement for the development of practical solar-driven water splitting devices. Heterogeneous OER electrocatalysts containing first-row transition metal oxides and hydroxides have attracted considerable recent interest, owing in part to the high abundance and [...] Read more.
Efficient catalysis of the oxygen-evolution half-reaction (OER) is a pivotal requirement for the development of practical solar-driven water splitting devices. Heterogeneous OER electrocatalysts containing first-row transition metal oxides and hydroxides have attracted considerable recent interest, owing in part to the high abundance and low cost of starting materials. Among the best performing OER electrocatalysts are mixed Fe/Ni layered double hydroxides (LDH). A review of the available experimental data leads to the conclusion that iron is the active site for [NiFe]-LDH-catalyzed alkaline water oxidation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization)
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Other

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1794 KiB  
Letter
Concentration Effect on Quenching of Chlorophyll a Fluorescence by All-Trans-β-Carotene in Photosynthesis
by Chen Chen, Nan Gong, Zuowei Li, Chenglin Sun and Zhiwei Men
Molecules 2017, 22(10), 1585; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22101585 - 21 Sep 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7367
Abstract
Absorption, fluorescence spectra of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and all-trans-β-carotene (β-Car) mixing solution are investigated in different polarity and polarizability solvents. The carotenoids regulate the energy flow in photosynthesis by interaction with chlorophyll, leading to an observable reduction of Chl-a fluorescence. The fluorescence red [...] Read more.
Absorption, fluorescence spectra of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and all-trans-β-carotene (β-Car) mixing solution are investigated in different polarity and polarizability solvents. The carotenoids regulate the energy flow in photosynthesis by interaction with chlorophyll, leading to an observable reduction of Chl-a fluorescence. The fluorescence red shifts with the increasing solvent polarizability. The energy transfer in the Chl-a and β-Car system is proposed. The electron transfer should be dominant in quenching Chl-a fluorescence rather than the energy transfer in this system. Polar solvent with large polarizability shows high quenching efficiency. When dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, Chl-a presents red shift of absorption and blue shift of fluorescence spectra with increasing β-Car concentration, which implies a Chl-a conformational change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Photosynthesis: Recent Progress in Solar Energy Utilization)
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