Premium
Water‐Soluble Polymeric Carbon Nitride Colloidal Nanoparticles for Highly Selective Quasi‐Homogeneous Photocatalysis
Author(s) -
Krivtsov Igor,
Mitoraj Dariusz,
Adler Christiane,
Ilkaeva Marina,
Sardo Mariana,
Mafra Luís,
Neumann Christof,
Turchanin Andrey,
Li Chunyu,
Dietzek Benjamin,
Leiter Robert,
Biskupek Johannes,
Kaiser Ute,
Im Changbin,
Kirchhoff Björn,
Jacob Timo,
Beranek Radim
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201913331
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , ionic liquid , chemistry , nanoparticle , carbon nitride , carbon fibers , precipitation , redox , colloid , ionic strength , benzyl alcohol , chemical engineering , catalysis , inorganic chemistry , aqueous solution , materials science , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , physics , engineering , composite material , composite number , meteorology
Heptazine‐based polymeric carbon nitrides (PCN) are promising photocatalysts for light‐driven redox transformations. However, their activity is hampered by low surface area resulting in low concentration of accessible active sites. Herein, we report a bottom‐up preparation of PCN nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (ca. 10±3 nm), which are fully soluble in water showing no gelation or precipitation over several months. They allow photocatalysis to be carried out under quasi‐homogeneous conditions. The superior performance of water‐soluble PCN, compared to conventional solid PCN, is shown in photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production via reduction of oxygen accompanied by highly selective photooxidation of 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol or lignocellulose‐derived feedstock (ethanol, glycerol, glucose). The dissolved photocatalyst can be easily recovered and re‐dissolved by simple modulation of the ionic strength of the medium, without any loss of activity and selectivity.