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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 40: Focus Session: Novel Approaches to Surface Plasmon Generated Charges and Heat for Photocatalysis II (joint session O/CPP)

CPP 40.6: Talk

Thursday, March 21, 2024, 12:00–12:15, MA 141

Translucent aerogel supports for photocatalysis — •David Kiwic, Fabian Matter, and Markus Niederberger — Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland

Efficient light absorption is a key part of designing a photocatalytic process. In catalysts light can be scattered or absorbed before reaching the intended absorption site. Metal oxide aerogel supports minimize these light transport losses and their open porous structure enables sufficient gas transport to the active sites. These photocatalysts can be fabricated by synthesizing selected metal oxide nanoparticles, co-gelling them with plasmonic nanoparticles, shaping them into granules via extrusion and subsequent super-critical drying. Pd on ZrO2 is known in the field of conventional thermal catalysis to be highly active for CO2 reduction, a key reaction for the decarbonization of our economy. Additionally, Pd nanoparticles strongly absorb visible light and shall be investigated for their photocatalytic activity. Aerogel granules were produced and catalytically tested in thermal and photothermal catalysis with a custom-built reactor setup that enables simultaneous heating and illumination of the granules in the fixed bed. The space time yield of the main product CO was increased manifold by illumination with two white LEDs, demonstrating the great potential of translucent aerogels as support materials for photocatalysis.

Keywords: photocatalysis; CO2 reduction; aerogel