The Development and Applications of Novel, Hybrid Niobium Pentoxide Nanocomposites in Photocatalysis

新型杂化五氧化二铌纳米复合材料在光催化中的开发和应用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06009
• 负责人: HallettTapley, Geniece
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: St. Francis Xavier University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=613880
• 关键词: Development; Applications; Novel; Hybrid; Niobium

Due to the high abundance of niobium (Nb) and >99% of the total worldwide Nb production found jointly between Canada and Brazil, finding new applications for niobium-based materials benefits both economies by creating new collaborative markets and technologies. Namely, heterogeneous catalysis is of particular interest as the remarkable chemical versatility of Nb2O5 allows for use not only as well-known Brønsted and Lewis acid catalysts, but also presents an opportunity for development of its understudied photocatalytic and supramolecular properties. Noble metal nanoparticles, in particular gold (AuNP), have garnished attention as catalysts in a number of organic reactions. Recent work has focused on the photochemical generation of AuNP, resulting in nanomaterials with exceptional stability and small size distribution, ideal for catalytic testing. In lieu of typical, bench-top catalysis, exploitation of the surface resonance properties of AuNP presents the opportunity to study the catalysis of various organic reactions, using “greener” photochemical methodologies and introducing visible light as an integral reaction participant. AuNP possess an easily identifiable absorption in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, termed the surface plasmon band (SPB). SPB AuNP excitation has been shown to induce catalytic reactions by way of localized heating of the nanoparticle surface, as well as electron transfer pathways.   The proposed research aims to draw on the suggested photocatalytic abilities of niobium oxide and niobium oxide salts as potential photocatalytic alternatives to TiO2-derived catalysts. Though still able to be excited within the UV region of the spectrum, modifying niobate semiconductor supports with AuNP is attractive for potentially improved photo-induced reduction performance. AuNP incorporation into the niobate structure will extend the absorption of light into the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum to include that of solar energy (a highly desired property for energy conservation measures), and may also be used to improve the photocatalytic properties of the nanomaterial itself by maximizing photoinduced charge separation. Moreover, the intrinsic photocatalytic characteristics of AuNP supported on layered niobate guest-host systems may also be of considerable interest in regards to the development of novel sensitized materials for energy storage.  These unique supramolecular structures may be useful for examining the effects of molecular confinement on catalytic reactions and also be beneficial towards investigating the electron transport capabilities of supramolecular niobate-derived supports, favorable in energy storage/conversion and renewable energy research.  Most importantly, this research will examine the light-induced chemical properties of an abundant, and uniquely Canadian, global resource.

由于加拿大和巴西之间共同发现的NIOBIUM（NB）的丰度（NB）和> 99％的NB生产总量，因此在基于Niobium的材料中找到了新的应用程序，从而通过创造新的协作市场和技术来使这两种经济受益。也就是说，异质性催化特别引起了人们的关注，因为NB2O5的显着化学多功能性不仅允许使用众所周知的Brønsted和Lewis酸催化剂，而且还提供了开发其知识的光催化和超分子特性的机会。 高贵的金属纳米颗粒，尤其是黄金（AUNP），在许多有机反应中引起了人们的注意。最近的工作集中于AuNP的光化学产生，导致具有出色稳定性和尺寸较小的纳米材料，非常适合催化测试。使用“绿色”的光化学方法，代替了AUNP的表面共振特性的典型，台式催化剂，这是一个机会，可以使用“绿色”的光化学方法来研究各种有机反应的催化，并将可见光作为整体反应参与者引入可见光。 AUNP的可能性在电子光谱的可见区域中易于识别，称为表面等离子体带（SPB）。 SPB AUNP兴奋已被证明可以通过纳米颗粒表面的局部加热以及电子转移途径诱导催化反应。   拟议的研究旨在利用氧化氮化氮和氧化物氧化物盐的建议光催化能力，作为TIO2衍生催化剂的潜在光催化替代品。尽管仍然能够在频谱的紫外线区域内受到激发，但用AUNP修改尼贝特半导体支持对于可能改善光诱导的还原性能有吸引力。融合到Niobate结构中的AUNP将将光的抽象扩展到电子光谱的可见区域，以包括太阳能（用于节能测量值的高度期望的特性），并且还可以用于改善纳米材料本身的光催化特性，通过最大化光诱导的电荷分离。此外，在分层的niobate宾客宿主系统上支持的AUNP的固有光催化特性在开发新型敏感材料以用于储能方面也可能引起人们的兴趣。这些独特的超分子结构可能有助于检查分子限制对催化反应的影响，并且有益于研究超分子Niobate衍生的支持的电子传输能力，这有利于储能/转换和可再生能源研究。最重要的是，这项研究将检查丰富，独特的加拿大全球资源的光引起的化学特性。