Electro and photoelectrochemical production of H2O2 for waste water cleaning and production of renewable fuels using pure and Nb5+ and W6+ doped Sn3O4, SnO2 semiconductors

• Grant number: 21/08240-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: June 01, 2022
• End date: May 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Ornaghi Orlandi
• Grantee: Fernanda da Costa Romeiro
• Supervisor: Guido Mul
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Twente (UT), Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/18856-5 - Photo(electro)chemical applications for the production of renewable fuels using nanocomposites based on tin oxide (SnO and Sn3O4) and carbon compounds (reduced graphene oxide and graphitic carbon nitride), BP.PD

Abstract

The detailed study on the photo(electro)catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution (H2), the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into high added value compounds (CO, CH4, CH3OH, HCOOH, ethanol), as well as the electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) to remove organic pollutants from wastewaters are proposed in this research. The effectiveness of these methodologies is based on the direct oxidation/reduction reactions at the electrodes surface. Nb5+ and W6+ doped SnO2 and Sn3O4 (semiconducting) electrodes will be synthesized and their activity, selectivity and stability evaluated. The main objectives of this project are: (I) evaluate the photo(electro)catalytic performance of these materials against the evolution of products with high added value, (II) determine/quantify the possible products generated and investigate the mechanisms involved in CO2 reduction and H2 evolution by using in-situ spectroscopy techniques (surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy), in addition (III) evaluate the electro and photoelectrochemical catalytic performance of pure and doped tin oxide semiconductors for selective formation of H2O2 from water oxidation; (IV) to investigate the reaction mechanism for H2O2 formation and to utilize H2O2 for (saline) waste water cleaning and compare its efficiency with direct electro/photoelectrochemical (4-ethylphenol) degradation. The great interest for the development of this post-doctoral project abroad is to explore the infinite possibilities of environmental and sustainable applications of Sn-based semiconductors, especially pure and modified Sn3O4 and SnO2. (AU)