RUI:CAS: Metal Phosphides on Nanostructured Indium Oxide - New Photocatalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation

在化学系化学催化项目的支持下，西华盛顿大学的马克·布塞尔和罗伯特·伯杰将研究二氧化碳的光热催化转化。一个特别吸引人但在科学上具有挑战性的挑战是利用太阳光将二氧化碳光催化转化为甲醇等燃料。在本项目中，将开发一种新型的催化材料，该材料由可见光吸收金属磷化物分散在纳米结构的氧化铟载体上，用于二氧化碳的光热转化。催化剂设计策略在多相催化领域采用了一个相对较新的研究领域，即光热催化，其中光吸收为催化反应进行了优化，催化剂颗粒内的局部加热优化了反应物到产品的高效转化。实验研究将由Pi Bussell领导，而计算研究将由联席PiBerger领导。该项目将涉及本科生和硕士研究生，并将开发基于课程的本科生研究经验(CURE)，研究金属氧化物的光催化性能，并在附近的社区大学实施。西华盛顿大学的Mark Bussell和Robert Berger将研究通过金属磷化物-氧化物杂化材料的反向水-气变换反应将二氧化碳转化为一氧化碳。待开发的光催化剂将包括分散在纳米结构氧化铟载体上的可见光吸收金属磷化物(NixPy，In(X)Ga(1-x)P)。金属磷化物将具有明显的和可调的电子和结构性质，所使用的两种氧化铟材料(纳米立方体和纳米棒)将能够探索载体形态的影响。包括原位拉曼光谱在内的一系列结构和光谱方法将被用来表征光催化剂，而对金属磷化物-氧化物材料的电子和界面性质的密度泛函理论(DFT)研究将补充实验研究。这项研究的成果将包括开发一种新的富含地球的光热催化剂，以及对金属磷化物和氧化物成分在二氧化碳加氢和相关过程中的作用有了更好的基本了解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry, Mark Bussell and Robert Berger of Western Washington University will study the photothermal catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide. A particularly attractive but scientifically imposing challenge is the photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels such as methanol using sunlight. In this project, a new class of catalytic materials that consists of a visible light-absorbing metal phosphide dispersed on nanostructured indium oxide supports will be developed for the photothermal conversion of carbon dioxide. The catalyst design strategy employs a relatively new area of study within the heterogeneous catalysis community, namely photothermal catalysis, in which light absorption is optimized for the catalytic reaction, and localized heating within catalyst particles optimized for efficient conversion of reactants to products. The experimental investigation will be led by PI Bussell while the computational studies will be led by co-PI Berger. The project will involve undergraduate and M.S. students, and a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) investigating the photocatalytic properties of metal oxides will be developed for implementation at a nearby community college.Mark Bussell and Robert Berger of Western Washington University will investigate the photothermal catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide via the reverse water-gas shift reaction over metal phosphide-oxide hybrid materials. The photocatalysts to be developed will comprise visible light-absorbing metal phosphides (NixPy, In(x)Ga(1-x)P) dispersed on nanostructured indium oxide supports. The metal phosphides will have distinct and tunable electronic and structural properties, and the two kinds of indium oxide materials to be employed (nanocubes and nanorods) will enable the effects of support morphology to be probed. A range of structural and spectroscopic methods including in situ Raman spectroscopy will be used to characterize the photocatalysts, and the experimental studies will be complemented by density functional theory (DFT) investigations of the electronic and interfacial properties of the metal phosphide-oxide materials. The outcomes of this research will include the development of a new class of earth-abundant photothermal catalysts and an improved fundamental understanding of the roles of the metal phosphide and oxide components in CO2 hydrogenation and related processes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.