Photocatalytic Water Reduction Using a Polymer Coated Carbon Quantum Dot Sensitizer and a Nickel Nanoparticle Catalyst

Authors

Carolyn N. Virca, Portland State UniversityFollow
Hayden Winter, Portland State University
Andrea Mitchell Goforth, Portland State UniversityFollow
Marilyn R. Mackiewicz, Portland State UniversityFollow
Theresa M. McCormick, Portland State UniversityFollow

Published In

Nanotechnology

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

4-19-2017

Abstract

Hydrogen gas is produced photocatalytically using 470 nm light, PVP-coated carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as the photosensitizer, and nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) as the catalyst. The effect of the amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the ability of the CQD/NiNP composites to catalyze proton reduction was studied. A maximum of 330 mmols H2/g CQD is produced using 68 μg ml−1 of CQDs and 6 μg ml−1 of NiNPs, with activity persisting for 4 h when 20 wt%- PVP-coated CQDs were used. The H2 production quantum yield under these conditions is 6%. It was found that composites having higher weight percent PVP had decreased rates of H2 production, but increased duration. Increasing the weight percent of PVP coating also increases the fluorescence quantum yield of CQDs. Fluorescence quenching titrations reveal that H2 production could occur by either a reductive or oxidative quenching mechanism. The nanomaterials, prepared using simple methods, are used as the photosensitizer and catalyst in the proton reduction system that operates using visible light.

Rights

© 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd

Description

© 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aa6ae3

DOI

10.1088/1361-6528/aa6ae3

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/20518

Citation Details

Virca, C. N., Winter, H. M., Goforth, A. M., Mackiewicz, M. R., & McCormick, T. M. (2017). Photocatalytic water reduction using a polymer coated carbon quantum dot sensitizer and a nickel nanoparticle catalyst. Nanotechnology, 28(19), 195402.