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Carrier-Dynamics-Regulated BiOI/Au/TiO2 Z-Scheme Photoanode for Selective Glycerol Photoelectrooxidation and
Lu Niu1, Wanggang Zhang1, Rufeng Tian2
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel BiOI/Au/TiO2 photoanode for efficient glycerol conversion. This advanced material enhances selectivity and overcomes mass-transfer limitations, paving the way for sustainable chemical production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Selective conversion of glycerol to high-value chemicals faces challenges in selectivity and mass transfer.
- Developing efficient photoanodes is crucial for sustainable chemical synthesis from biomass.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a BiOI/Au/TiO2 photoanode for enhanced selective conversion of glycerol.
- To investigate the charge transfer mechanisms and surface interactions for improved catalytic performance.
- To design and optimize a continuous-flow reactor for laboratory-scale production.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a BiOI/Au/TiO2 heterojunction photoanode.
- Utilizing plasmonic gold (Au) mediators to facilitate Z-scheme charge transfer.
- Employing femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and MnOx photodeposition for in situ characterization.
- Conducting density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand reaction mechanisms.
- Designing a continuous-flow reactor using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Main Results:
- The BiOI/Au/TiO2 photoanode demonstrated a transition from Type-II to Z-scheme charge transfer, preserving oxidative holes.
- Enhanced primary hydroxyl (pri-OH) adsorption and lowered dehydrogenation barrier (∼0.6 eV) were observed.
- High selectivity (87%) for glyceraldehyde (GLAD) and conversion rate (341.25 mmol·m-2·h-1) were achieved in an H-cell.
- A continuous-flow system improved GLAD selectivity to 77% and glycerol conversion to 60.34% for a large-area electrode.
- Stable operation exceeding 120 hours was demonstrated in the flow reactor.
Conclusions:
- The developed photoanode effectively addresses selectivity and mass-transfer limitations in glycerol conversion.
- The integration of nanoscale material design with macroscale reactor engineering enables laboratory scale-up.
- This approach offers a promising pathway for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals from biomass.
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