Photoreduction reactions to sustainable production of chemical commodities: a solar to chemical strategy

• Grant number: 22/14652-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ivo Freitas Teixeira
• Grantee: Luis Fernando Guimarães Noleto
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/14741-6 - Graphitic carbon nitrides as platforms for single-atom photocatalysis: moving towards design principles for improved performance, AP.JP

Abstract

The chemical industry is extremely energy demanding and dependent on fossil sources, which makes this sector the third-largest contributor to CO2 emissions. More than half of the CO2 emissions in the chemical industry are due to the production of chemical commodities, which relies on hydrogen as feedstock, i.e. ammonia, methanol and high-value chemicals. As 95% of the produced hydrogen comes from the wet reforming of the methane, which results in the emission of CO2. This CO2 footprint pass to all the chemical commodities that depends on hydrogen in their synthesis.Here, we aim to investigate the PHI catalysts stabilized with transition metals single-atoms for photoreduction reactions, in order to replace fossil hydrogen in the production of key commodities chemicals, more specifically H2O2, NH3 and unsaturated bonds reductions. For this, crystalline carbon nitrides (PHI) with single-atoms of transition metals stabilized in their structure (PHI-Single atoms) will be synthesized, by a simple method of cation exchange. The synthesized photocatalysts will be characterized by: DRX, EXAFS, Raman, FTIR, TEM, XPS, UV-Vis and photoluminescence. Three different photocatalytic reactions will be tested, i.e.: photoreduction of O2 into H2O2, photoreduction of N2 to NH3 and photoreduction of alkynes using water as a source of hydrogen. The mechanism of the reactions will be investigated using scavengers, tests with isotopes and characterization of the after the reaction. A photocatalytic route to produce commodities chemicals replacing fossil hydrogen can be absolutely disruptive, allowing a more sustainable and efficient chemical industry. (AU)