This comprehensive book systematically covers the fundamentals in solar energy conversion to chemicals, either fuels or chemical products. It includes natural photosynthesis with emphasis on artificial processes for solar energy conversion and utilization. The chemical processes of solar energy conversion via homogeneous and/or heterogeneous photocatalysis has been described with the mechanistic insights. It also consists of reaction systems toward a variety of applications, such as water splitting for hydrogen or oxygen evolution, photocatalytic CO2 reduction to fuels, and light driven N2 fixation, etc. This unique book offers the readers a broad view of solar energy utilization based on chemical processes and their perspectives for future sustainability.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction: A Delicate Collection of Advances in Solar-to-Chemical Conversions 1
Hongqi Sun
2 Artificial Photosynthesis and Solar Fuels 7
Jun Ke
2.1 Introduction of Solar Fuels 7
2.2 Photosynthesis 8
2.3 Principles of Photocatalysis 10
2.4 Products of Artificial Photosynthesis 13
2.5 Perspective 34
3 Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis 41
Dimitrios A. Pantazis
3.1 Introduction 41
3.2 Overview of Natural Photosynthesis 43
3.3 Light Harvesting and Excitation Energy Transfer 44
3.4 Charge Separation and Electron Transfer 48
3.5 Water Oxidation 53
3.6 Carbon Fixation 61
3.7 Conclusions 63
4 Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution 77
Amanj Kheradmand, Yuxiang Zhu, Shengshen Gu and Yijiao Jiang
4.1 Introduction 77
4.2 Fundamentals of Photocatalytic H2 Evolution 79
4.3 Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Under UV Light 82
4.4 Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Under Visible Light 88
4.5 Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Under Near-Infrared Light 95
4.6 Roles of Sacrificial Reagents and Reaction Pathways 99
4.7 Summary and Outlook 102
5 Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution 107
Zhiliang Wang and Lianzhou Wang
5.1 Background of PhotoelectrocatalyticWater Splitting 107
5.2 Mechanism of Charge Separation and Transfer 109
5.3 Strategy for Improving Charge Transfer 112
5.4 Strategy for Improving Electron-Hole Separation 116
5.5 Surface Cocatalyst Design 120
5.6 Unbiased PECWater Splitting 122
5.7 Conclusion and Perspective 123
6 Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution 129
Huayang Zhang, Wenjie Tian and Shaobin Wang
6.1 Introduction 129
6.2 Homogeneous PhotocatalyticWater Oxidation 131
6.3 Heterogeneous PhotocatalyticWater Oxidation 137
6.4 Catalytic Active Site-Catalysis Correlation in LD Semiconductors 156
6.5 Conclusions and Perspectives 157
7 Photoelectrochemical Oxygen Evolution 163
Fumiaki Amano
7.1 Introduction 163
7.2 Honda-Fujishima Effect 164
7.3 Factors Affecting the Photoanodic Current 165
7.4 Electrode Potentials at Different pH 168
7.5 Evaluation of PEC Performance 170
7.6 Flat Band Potential and Photocurrent Onset Potential 172
7.7 Selection of Materials 173
7.8 Enhancement of PEC Properties 175
7.9 PEC Device forWater Splitting 182
7.10 Conclusions and Outlook 184
8 Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Overall Water Splitting 189
Nur Aqlili Riana Che Mohamad, Filipe Marques Mota and Dong Ha Kim
8.1 Introduction 189
8.2 Photocatalytic OverallWater Splitting 190
8.3 Photoelectrochemical OverallWater Splitting 213
8.4 Concluding Remarks and Outlook 230
9 Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction 243
Maochang Liu, Guijun Chen, Boya Min, Jinwen Shi, Yubin Chen and Qibin Liu
9.1 Introduction 243
9.2 Principle of Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 245
9.3 Energy and Mass Transfers in Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 247
9.4 Conclusions 265
10 Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction 269
Zhongxue Yang, Hui Ning, Qingshan Zhao, Hongqi Sun and Mingbo Wu
10.1 Introduction 269
10.2 PEC CO2 Reduction Principles 272
10.3 Application of Solar-to-Chemical Energy Conversion in PEC CO2 Reduction 276
10.4 Other Configurations for PEC CO2 Reduction 289
10.5 Conclusion and Outlook 292
11 Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Nitrogen Fixation 301
Lei Shi and Hongqi Sun
11.1 Introduction 301
11.2 Fundamental Principles and Present Challenges 303
11.3 Strategies for Catalyst Design and Fabrication 307
11.4 Conclusions and Outlook 333
12 Photocatalytic Production of Hydrogen Peroxide Using MOF Materials 339
Xiaolang Chen, Yasutaka Kuwahara, Kohsuke Mori and Hiromi Yamashita
12.1 Introduction 339
12.2 Photocatalytic H2O2 Production Through Selective Two-Electron Reduction of O2 Utilizing NiO/MIL-125-NH2 340
12.3 Two-Phase System Utilizing Linker-Alkylated Hydrophobic MIL-125-NH2 for Photocatalytic H2O2 Production 346
12.4 Ti Cluster-Alkylated Hydrophobic MIL-125-NH2 for Photocatalytic H2O2 Production in Two-Phase System 356
12.5 Conclusion and Outlooks 362
13 Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Reforming of Methane 365
Jinqiang Zhang and Hongqi Sun
13.1 Introduction 365
13.2 Photo-Mediated Processes 367
13.3 Differences Between Photo-Assisted Catalysis and Thermocatalysis 369
13.4 Reactions of Methane Conversion via Photo-Assisted Catalysis 373
13.5 Conclusions and Perspectives 383
14 Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Reforming of Biomass 389
Xiaoqing Liu, Wei Wei and Bing-Jie Ni
14.1 Introduction 389
14.2 Fundamentals of Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Processes 391
14.3 Photocatalytic Reforming of Biomass 393
14.4 Photoelectrochemical Reforming of Biomass 406
14.5 Conclusion Remarks and Perspectives 412
15 Reactors, Fundamentals, and Engineering Aspects for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Systems 419
Boon-Junn Ng, Xin Ying Kong, Yi-Hao Chew, Yee Wen Teh and Siang-Piao Chai
15.1 Fundamental Mechanisms of Photocatalytic and PEC Processes 419
15.2 Reactor Design and Configuration 428
15.3 Engineering Aspects of Photocatalytic and PEC Processes 436
15.4 Conclusions and Outlook 443
List of Abbreviations 444
References 445
16 Prospects of Solar Fuels 449
Hongqi Sun
Index 453
