title: Photoreduction of iron(III) to iron(0) nanoparticles for simultaneous hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution.
abstract: Crystalline Fe nanoparticles were obtained with fluorescein (Fl) as the photosensitizer in triethylamine (TEA) or triethanolamine (TEOA) aqueous solution with FeCl3 as the Fe precursor under bright visible-light light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation. Photoinduced electron transfer from excited state Fl* and Fl(-) to Fe(3+) produced the Fe nanoparticles, which served as the active catalyst for in situ photocatalytic hydrogen production with Fl and TEA or TEOA as the photosensitizer and electron donors, respectively, in the same system. Robust hydrogen production activities were observed under the Fe nanoparticle photoreduction conditions in basic solution, and tens of milliliters of hydrogen were obtained over prolonged LED irradiation. If inorganic support materials such as NH2 -MCM-41 or reduced graphene oxide were introduced, dispersed nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes were deposited on the supports, which led to variously enhanced hydrogen production activities. The relationships between the morphologies of the Fe/H2 N-MCM-41 or Fe/graphene composites generated in situ and the hydrogen production activities were investigated systematically.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials and HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (P.R. China), Fax: (+86) 10-6255-4670.
authors.forename: Chuan-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Fu
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry; D005021:Ethylamines / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004983:Ethanolamines; D005021:Ethylamines; C509968:MCM-41; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D006108:Graphite; D006859:Hydrogen; C009546:triethanolamine; D007501:Iron; C016162:triethylamine
keywords: electron transfer; hydrogen; iron; nanoparticles; photochemistry