Reactivity of Polyols Containing 3 Carbons for the Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Process in BiVO4

• Grant number: 25/01515-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Elton Fabiano Sitta
• Grantee: Marcela Brizolari Lima
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The use of solar energy to promote chemical reactions has gained prominence in the literature in recent decades as an alternative to the classical methods of synthesis of organic compounds, as well as in the production of molecules for energy storage in the form of chemical bonds. While H2 is the main desired species for the cathode, it is required the development of anodic processes to provide protons and electrons to the system. Biomass oxidation has gained great prominence in recent years as an alternative method to water oxidation as an anodic process. To this end, it is necessary to develop catalysts composed of semiconductors that absorb abundant energy from the solar spectrum and transfer this energy to the semi-reactions of interest. In this context, BiVO4 has shown promise for the oxidation of small organic molecules such as glycerol, with high selectivity for glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone. The presence of dopant and co-catalysts in BiVO4 has increased the activity of this material for the oxidation processes of both water and small organic molecules. However, from the fundamental point of view, the process is little studied, especially with regard to systematic studies comparing the activity of active species under identical experimental conditions. Thus, this project aims to study the activity of alcohols containing 3 carbons with OH groups in different positions of the molecules in the process of photoelectrochemical oxidation in BiVO4 doped with Zr and Mo and modified with Pt.