SYNTHESES OF NANO-STRUCTURED GRAPHITE INTERCALATION COMPOUNDS AS A ELECTRO- AND A PHOTO- CATALYSTS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO THE PHOTOCATALYTIC HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AND THE ELCTROCATALYTIC REDUCTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE

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The results of this research are summarized as follows.(1)It was found that nano-structured graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) with copper chloride were sensitized by the photoillumination of xenon light in an aqueous solution. In the present work, the photoelectrochemical characteristics of the GICs were investigated and also the mechanism for the photosensitization was discussed.(2)The photoillumination to a suspension of CuCl_2-GICs with a metallic copper powder resulted in a hydrogen production in an aqueous methanol solution. The mechanistic approach was performed by considering the dependences of illumination time, methanol concentration, and content of CuCl_2-GICs to the photocatalytic hydrogen production.(3)On cyclic voltammograms measured, CuCl_2-GICs revealed similar electrochemical behavior to that of copper electrode in an aqueous potassium bicarbonate solution saturated with carbon dioxide. From the similarity we could expect the electrocatalytic property of CuCl_2-GICs in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, because copper electrode has been well known as an electrocatalyst for its reduction in the literature. Thus electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide was investigated in an aqueous potassium bicarbonate solution saturated with carbon dioxide. The resulting gaseous products are carbon monoxide and methane from the reduction of carbon dioxide, in addition to hydrogen from a water decomposition.(4)We proposed the new use of the sacrificial sulfur-graphite electrode. In conclusion, the S-C electrode was found to be useful for N-tolylation of aromatic amines from the standpoint of lower cathodic overpotential and higher product yields.