The Development and Applications of Novel, Hybrid Niobium Pentoxide Nanocomposites in Photocatalysis

新型杂化五氧化二铌纳米复合材料在光催化中的开发和应用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06009
• 负责人: HallettTapley, Geniece
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: St. Francis Xavier University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=708330
• 关键词: Development; Applications; Novel; Hybrid; Niobium

Due to the high abundance of niobium (Nb) and >99% of the total worldwide Nb production found jointly between Canada and Brazil, finding new applications for niobium-based materials benefits both economies by creating new collaborative markets and technologies. Namely, heterogeneous catalysis is of particular interest as the remarkable chemical versatility of Nb2O5 allows for use not only as well-known Bronsted and Lewis acid catalysts, but also presents an opportunity for development of its understudied photocatalytic and supramolecular properties. Noble metal nanoparticles, in particular gold (AuNP), have garnished attention as catalysts in a number of organic reactions. Recent work has focused on the photochemical generation of AuNP, resulting in nanomaterials with exceptional stability and small size distribution, ideal for catalytic testing. In lieu of typical, bench-top catalysis, exploitation of the surface resonance properties of AuNP presents the opportunity to study the catalysis of various organic reactions, using "greener" photochemical methodologies and introducing visible light as an integral reaction participant. AuNP possess an easily identifiable absorption in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, termed the surface plasmon band (SPB). SPB AuNP excitation has been shown to induce catalytic reactions by way of localized heating of the nanoparticle surface, as well as electron transfer pathways.   The proposed research aims to draw on the suggested photocatalytic abilities of niobium oxide and niobium oxide salts as potential photocatalytic alternatives to TiO2-derived catalysts. Though still able to be excited within the UV region of the spectrum, modifying niobate semiconductor supports with AuNP is attractive for potentially improved photo-induced reduction performance. AuNP incorporation into the niobate structure will extend the absorption of light into the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum to include that of solar energy (a highly desired property for energy conservation measures), and may also be used to improve the photocatalytic properties of the nanomaterial itself by maximizing photoinduced charge separation. Moreover, the intrinsic photocatalytic characteristics of AuNP supported on layered niobate guest-host systems may also be of considerable interest in regards to the development of novel sensitized materials for energy storage.  These unique supramolecular structures may be useful for examining the effects of molecular confinement on catalytic reactions and also be beneficial towards investigating the electron transport capabilities of supramolecular niobate-derived supports, favorable in energy storage/conversion and renewable energy research.  Most importantly, this research will examine the light-induced chemical properties of an abundant, and uniquely Canadian, global resource.

由于铌（Nb）的丰度很高，而且加拿大和巴西共同发现的铌产量占全球总产量的99%以上，因此，通过创造新的合作市场和技术，为铌基材料寻找新的应用有利于两个经济体。也就是说，多相催化是特别感兴趣的，因为Nb2O5的显着的化学多功能性不仅允许用作公知的布朗斯台德和刘易斯酸催化剂，而且还提供了一个机会，其未充分研究的光催化和超分子性能的发展。 贵金属纳米颗粒，特别是金（AuNP），在许多有机反应中作为催化剂引起了人们的注意。最近的工作集中在AuNP的光化学生成上，从而产生具有特殊稳定性和小尺寸分布的纳米材料，非常适合催化测试。代替典型的，台式催化，利用表面共振性质的金纳米粒子提供了机会，研究各种有机反应的催化，使用“绿色”的光化学方法，并引入可见光作为一个完整的反应参与者。金纳米粒子在电磁波谱的可见光区具有很容易识别的吸收，称为表面等离子体带（SPB）。SPB AuNP激发已被证明通过纳米颗粒表面的局部加热以及电子转移途径来诱导催化反应。   拟议的研究旨在利用铌氧化物和铌氧化物盐作为潜在的光催化替代品的TiO 2衍生催化剂的建议的光催化能力。虽然仍然能够在光谱的UV区域内被激发，但用AuNP修饰的半导体载体对于潜在地改进的光诱导还原性能是有吸引力的。将AuNP掺入到纳米结构中将使光的吸收扩展到电磁光谱的可见光区域，以包括太阳能的吸收（对于节能措施而言非常期望的性质），并且还可以用于通过最大化光致电荷分离来改善纳米材料本身的光催化性质。此外，负载在层状铌酸盐宾主系统上的AuNP固有的光催化特性也可能在开发新型敏化储能材料方面具有相当大的兴趣。这些独特的超分子结构可能有助于研究分子限制对催化反应的影响，也有利于研究超分子铌酸盐衍生载体的电子传输能力，最重要的是，这项研究将研究丰富的，独特的加拿大，全球资源的光诱导化学性质。