Plasmonic Cu Nanoparticles for the Low‐temperature Photo‐driven Water‐gas Shift Reaction

Abstract

The activation of water molecules in thermal catalysis typically requires high temperatures, representing an obstacle to catalyst development for the low‐temperature water‐gas shift reaction (WGSR). Plasmonic photocatalysis allows activation of water at low temperatures through the generation of light‐induced hot electrons. Herein, we report a layered double hydroxide‐derived copper catalyst (LD‐Cu) with outstanding performance for the low‐temperature photo‐driven WGSR. LD‐Cu offered a lower activation energy for WGSR to H2 under UV/Vis irradiation (1.4 W cm−2) compared to under dark conditions. Detailed experimental studies revealed that highly dispersed Cu nanoparticles created an abundance of hot electrons during light absorption, which promoted *H2O dissociation and *H combination via a carboxyl pathway, leading to the efficient production of H2. Results demonstrate the benefits of exploiting plasmonic phenomena in the development of photo‐driven low‐temperature WGSR catalysts.

Nickel–Iron Bimetal as a Cost-Effective Cocatalyst for Light-Driven Hydrogen Release from Methanol and Water

“…It was observed that compared to adsorbed on GaN, and Ni 4 /GaN, H 2 O illustrated the most energy-favorable configuration if it was adsorbed on Ni 3 Fe/GaN. It thus facilitated hydrogen evolution from methanol and water, , which is well consistent with the measured activity and isotope experiments. The theoretical calculations above agree well with the operando DRIFT and in situ EPR spectroscopic characterizations.…”

Photothermally driven decoupling of gas evolution at the solid–liquid interface for boosted photocatalytic hydrogen production

“…Hydrogen, which can be produced from a variety of raw materials, is widely considered as a promising energy carrier to replace fossil fuels. 1,2 Currently, photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen evolution has been widely considered as a feasible method to convert solar energy…”

“…Hydrogen, which can be produced from a variety of raw materials, is widely considered as a promising energy carrier to replace fossil fuels. 1,2 Currently, photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen evolution has been widely considered as a feasible method to convert solar energy into chemical energy. 3–10 Despite many efforts made in the past, such as the development of multifunctional photocatalysts, 11–14 the construction of heterojunctions 15–18 and the loading of co-catalysts, 19–21 the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is still very low.…”

Facile Synthesis of Efficient and Robust Cu–Zn–Al Catalysts by the Sol–Gel Method for the Water–Gas Shift Reaction

“…In this regard, non-noble metal catalysts are promising candidates due to their abundant resources. Among the non-noble metal catalysts for the WGS reaction, Cu-based catalysts (e.g., commercial Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 ) have attracted extensive attention over the past decades owing to their remarkable ability to activate CO and dissociate H 2 O. , Nevertheless, Cu-based catalysts have their own drawbacks such as a narrow activation temperature range, poor start/stop cycling behavior, and an easy sintering tendency. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop robust Cu-based catalysts for the WGS reaction.…”