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High Selectivity Fuel from Efficient CO2 Conversion by Zn-Modified rGO and Amine-Functionalized CuO as a
Retno Damastuti1, Diah Susanti2, Adhimoorthy Prasannan1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106335, Taiwan.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
This study introduces Zn-modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO) combined with copper (II) oxide (CuO) as a novel photocatalyst for CO2 reduction. The rGO/CuO composite efficiently converts carbon dioxide into valuable fuels like methanol and ethanolamine.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Environmental Chemistry
Background:
- Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a known additive for copper (II) oxide (CuO)-based photocatalysts.
- CuO-based photocatalysts are applied in carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction.
- The use of Zn-modified rGO in CuO-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of combining Zn-modified rGO with CuO photocatalysts.
- To synthesize and characterize rGO/CuO composite photocatalysts for CO2 conversion.
- To evaluate the efficiency of these composites in producing valuable chemical products from CO2.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of rGO using a Zn-modified Hummers' method.
- Covalent grafting of rGO with CuO via amine functionalization to create rGO/CuO composites (1:10, 1:20, 1:30 ratios).
- Characterization using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
- Performance evaluation of CO2 reduction using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of high-quality rGO with excellent crystallinity and morphology.
- Demonstrated successful grafting of rGO with CuO particles, forming rGO/CuO composites with good morphology.
- The rGO/CuO composite exhibited significant photocatalytic activity, producing methanol (37.12 mmol/g), ethanolamine (8730 mmol/g), and aldehyde (17.1 mmol/g).
- Increased CO2 flow time positively correlated with higher product yields.
Conclusions:
- The Zn-modified rGO/CuO composite shows promising photocatalytic performance for CO2 conversion.
- The synergistic effects between rGO and CuO contribute to the enhanced catalytic activity.
- This composite holds potential for large-scale applications in CO2 conversion and storage.
