Issue 32, 2017

A small bandgap semiconductor, p-type MnV2O6, active for photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen production

Abstract

Extensive research has been conducted with the goal to find a single bandgap material that can absorb visible light and efficiently drive the catalysis of water to both hydrogen and oxygen. The p-type MnV2O6 (C2/m, Z = 2, a = 9.289 Å, b = 3.535 Å, and c = 6.763 Å, β = 112.64°), synthesized via solid-state techniques, was investigated for its potential use in the visible-light photocatalysis of water. Mott–Schottky analysis was used to experimentally determine the energetic positions of the valence and conduction bands as +0.985 V and −0.464 V, respectively, at pH 5.68 vs. RHE. These are found to be suitable potentials to drive the reduction and oxidation of water under irradiation. The bandgap transitions, probed using spin-polarized density functional calculations, consist of the excitation of electrons from the half-filled Mn 3d5 orbitals to the empty V 3d0 orbitals. Both hydrogen and oxygen gas were observed as products during suspended-particle photocatalysis experiments under visible-light irradiation. The rate and total moles of gas produced were found to increase with the reaction temperature. As the temperature was raised from 30 °C to 37 °C and 44 °C, the moles of hydrogen produced over 6 hours increased by ∼1.5 and ∼2.5 times. Only oxygen is produced in pure water, showing that methanol is needed to drive hydrogen production.

Graphical abstract: A small bandgap semiconductor, p-type MnV2O6, active for photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 mars 2017
Accepted
17 avr. 2017
First published
18 avr. 2017

Dalton Trans., 2017,46, 10657-10664

A small bandgap semiconductor, p-type MnV2O6, active for photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen production

B. Zoellner, E. Gordon and P. A. Maggard, Dalton Trans., 2017, 46, 10657 DOI: 10.1039/C7DT00780A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements