Visible light sensitive photocatalyst, method of producing visible light sensitive photocatalyst, and electrochemical water decomposition cell and organic material decomposition system each including visible light sensitive photocatalyst

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308526-B2
Application number	US-201313846310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Apr 25, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A visible light sensitive photocatalyst including: a composite including a first metal oxide, a second metal oxide, and a heterojunction therebetween, wherein the first and second metal oxides each include a Group 11 metal, wherein a first bond between metal atoms of the first metal oxide has a length that is smaller than a Van der Waals distance between the metals of the first bond, wherein a second bond between metal atoms of the second metal oxide has a length that is smaller than a Van der Waals distance between the metals of the second bond, and, wherein the composite has a band gap energy of about 1.0 eV to about 2.5 eV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A visible light sensitive photocatalyst comprising:
a composite comprising a first metal oxide, a second metal oxide, and a heterojunction therebetween,
wherein the first and second metal oxides each comprise a Group 11 metal,
wherein a first bond between metal atoms of the first metal oxide has a length that is smaller than a Van der Waals distance between the metals of the first bond,
wherein a second bond between metal atoms of the second metal oxide has a length that is smaller than a Van der Waals distance between the metals of the second bond, and
wherein the composite has a band gap energy of about 1.0 electron volt to about 2.5 electron volts.

2. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the first and second metal oxides each have a band gap energy of about 1.0 electron volt to about 2.5 electron volts.

3. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the first metal oxide of the visible light sensitive photocatalyst is represented by Formula 1 and the second metal oxide is represented by Formula 2:
M 1 m (Q a A 1-a ) b O c ,  Formula 1

wherein, in Formula 1, M 1 is Cu, Ag, or Au, Q and A are each independently Si, Ge, or Sn, 1.5≦m≦2.5, 0≦a≦1, 0.7≦b≦1.3, and 2.7≦c≦3.3,
M 1 n {(Q d A 1-d )O e } f R 1 g   Formula 2

wherein, in Formula 2, M 1 is Cu, Ag, or Au, Q and A are each independently Si, Ge, or Sn, R 1 is —NO 3 , —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, or a combination thereof, 8≦n≦10, 0≦d≦1, 3.5≦e≦4.5, 1.5≦f≦2.5, and 0.5≦g≦1.5.

4. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 3 , wherein Q is Si and A is Ge or Sn.

5. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 4 , wherein the first metal oxide is Ag 2 SiO 3 , and the second metal oxide is Ag 9 {(Si x Ge 1-x )O 4 } 2 NO 3 wherein 0≦x≦1, and the Ag 2 SiO 3 and Ag 9 {(Si x Ge 1-x )O 4 } 2 NO 3 form a heterojunction.

6. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 5 , wherein x satisfies the inequality 0.1≦x≦0.5.

7. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 5 , wherein the band gap energy is about 1.7 electron volts to about 2.4 electron volts.

8. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 7 , wherein a valence band has an energy of less than 3 electron volts versus a normal hydrogen electrode.

9. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 8 , having an overpotential for water oxidation of less than about 2.3 volts.

10. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 8 , having an overpotential for water oxidation of about 0.1 to about 2.3 volts.

11. The visible light sensitive photocatalyst of claim 5 , wherein a molar ratio of Ag 2 SiO 3 to Ag 9 {(Si x Ge 1-x )O 4 } 2 NO 3 wherein 0≦x≦1 is about 100:1 to 1:100.

12. An electrode comprising the visible light sensitive photocatalyst according to claim 1 .

13. An electrochemical water decomposition cell comprising:
a working electrode comprising the visible light sensitive photocatalyst according to claim 1 and a counter electrode.

14. The electrochemical water decomposition cell of claim 13 , further comprising a reference electrode.

15. An organic material decomposition system comprising:
a vessel; and
the visible light sensitive photocatalyst according to claim 1 disposed in the vessel.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the vessel is transparent.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a composition in which the visible light sensitive photocatalyst according to claim 1 is dispersed.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the composition comprises water.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the composition comprises an organic material.

20. A photocatalyst comprising:
a first metal oxide represented by Formula 1:
Formula 1
M 1 m (Q a A 1-a ) b O c ,

wherein, in Formula 1, M 1 is Cu, Ag, Au, or a combination thereof, Q and A are each independently Si Ge, or Sn, 1.5≦m≦2.5, 0≦a≦1, 0.7≦b≦1.3, and 2.7≦c≦3.3;
a second metal oxide represented by Formula 2:
Formula 2
M 1 n {(Q d A 1-d )O c } f R 1 g

wherein, in Formula 2, M 1 is Cu, Ag, Au, or a combination thereof, Q and A are each independently Si, Ge, or Sn, R 1 is —NO 3 , —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, or a combination thereof, 8≦n≦10, 0≦d≦1, 3.5≦e≦4.5, 1.5≦f≦2.5, and 0.5≦g≦1.5; and
a heterojunction between the first and second metal oxides.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tae-Gon
• Im Seoung-Jae
• Kim Tae-Hyung
• Lee Jeong-Hee

Classifications

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• B01J23/66

  Silver or gold · CPC title

• B01J27/25 Primary

  Nitrates · CPC title

• B01J37/30

  Ion-exchange · CPC title

• C02F2101/30

  Organic compounds · CPC title