title: Photocatalytic splitting of seawater effected by (Ni-ZnO)@C nanoreactors.
abstract: Novel photocatalysts i.e., metallic nickel and zinc oxide nanoparticles embedded in the carbon-shell ((Ni-ZnO)@C) have been used for photocatalytic splitting of seawater to generate H2. The (Ni-ZnO)@C core-shell nanoparticles having the Zn/Ni ratios of 0-3 were prepared by carbonization of Ni(2+)- and Zn(2+)-β-cyclodextrin at 673 K for 2 h. To increase the collision frequency of water and photoactive sites within the carbon-shell, Ni and ZnO are partially etched from the (Ni-ZnO)@C core-shell to form yolk-shell nanoparticles with a H2SO4 solution (2N). By X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, mainly Ni and ZnO crystallites are observed in the core- and yolk-shell nanoparticles. The sizes of the Ni and ZnO in the (Ni-ZnO)@C nanoreactors are between 7 and 23 nm in diameters determined by TEM and small angel scattering spectroscopy. Under a 5-h UV-Vis light irradiation, 5.01 μmol/hgcat of H2 are yielded from photocatalytic splitting of seawater effected by (Ni-ZnO)@C nanoreactors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T-C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; The Experimental Forest, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Nan-Tou 557, Taiwan.
authors.forename: F-C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan. Electronic address: wanghp@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: H Paul
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jou
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D008027:Light; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012623:Seawater; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D014867:Water; D009532:Nickel; D006859:Hydrogen; C031215:betadex; D015034:Zinc Oxide
keywords: Core–shell; H(2) fuel; Nanoreactors; Photocatalysis; Seawater; Yolk–shell