Photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> Conversion Using Anodic TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanotube-Cu<sub>x</sub>O Composites

oleh: Timofey P. Savchuk, Ekaterina V. Kytina, Elizaveta A. Konstantinova, Vladimir G. Kytin, Olga Pinchuk, Andrey K. Tarhanov, Vladimir B. Zaitsev, Tomasz Maniecki

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-09-01

Deskripsi

Nanosized titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) is currently being actively studied by the global scientific community, since it has a number of properties that are important from a practical point of view. One of these properties is a large specific surface, which makes this material promising for use in photocatalysts, sensors, solar cells, etc. In this work, we prepared photocatalysts based on TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotubes for converting carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) into energy-intensive hydrocarbon compounds. Efficient gas-phase CO<sub>2</sub> conversion in the prepared single-walled TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotube-Cu<sub>x</sub>O composites was investigated. Parameters of defects (radicals) in composites were studied. Methanol and methane were detected during the CO<sub>2</sub> photoreduction process. In single-walled TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotubes, only Ti<sup>3+</sup>/oxygen vacancy defects were detected. The Cu<sup>2+</sup> centers and O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> radicals were found in TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotube-Cu<sub>x</sub>O composites using the EPR technique. It has been established that copper oxide nanoparticles are present in the TiO<sub>2</sub> nanotube-Cu<sub>x</sub>O composites in the form of the CuO phase. A phase transformation of CuO to Cu<sub>2</sub>O takes place during illumination, as has been shown by EPR spectroscopy. It is shown that defects accumulate photoinduced charge carriers. The mechanism of methane and methanol formation is discussed. The results obtained are completely original and show high promise for the use of TiO<sub>2</sub>-Cu<sub>x</sub>O nanotube composites as photocatalysts for CO<sub>2</sub> conversion into hydrocarbon fuel precursors.