1. A size tunable bimetallic nickel-zinc nitride as a multi-functional co-catalyst on nitrogen doped titania boosts solar energy conversion.
- Author
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Qi, Weiliang, Meng, Xiangjian, Adimi, Samira, Guo, Haichuan, Thomas, Tiju, Li, Fei, Jiang, Heng, Liu, Siqi, and Yang, Minghui
- Subjects
SOLAR energy conversion ,NITRIDES ,NITROGEN ,DENSITY functional theory ,CHEMICAL kinetics ,VISIBLE spectra ,CHARGE transfer - Abstract
To enable high-efficiency solar energy conversion, rational design and preparation of low cost and stable semiconductor photocatalysts with associated co-catalysts are desirable. However preparation of efficient catalytic systems remains a challenge. Here, N-doped TiO
2 /ternary nickel-zinc nitride (N–TiO2 –Ni3 ZnN) nanocomposites have been shown to be a multi-functional catalyst for photocatalytic reactions. The particle size of Ni3 ZnN can be readily tuned using N–TiO2 nanospheres as the active support. Due to its high conductivity and Pt-like properties, Ni3 ZnN promotes charge separation and transfer, as well as reaction kinetics. The material shows co-catalytic performance relevant for multiple reactions, demonstrating its multifunctionality. Density functional theory (DFT) based calculations confirm the intrinsic metallic properties of Ni3 ZnN. N–TiO2 –Ni3 ZnN exhibits evidently improved photocatalytic performances as compared to N–TiO2 under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2020
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