The Power of Ionic Liquids: Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO3 Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications

Tarek Alammar; Volodymr Smetana; Hanwen Pei; Ines Hamm; Michael Wark; Anja Verena Mudring

doi:10.1002/adsu.202000180

The Power of Ionic Liquids: Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO₃ Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications

Tarek Alammar, Volodymr Smetana, Hanwen Pei, Ines Hamm, Michael Wark, Anja Verena Mudring^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sonochemical synthesis of nano-sized SrTiO₃ carried out at close to room temperature, in ionic liquids (ILs) allows the tuning of particle size and particle morphology, that is, tracht and habitus, as well as particle aggregation via the choice of the ionic liquids (ILs) as the reaction medium. The nanoparticles demonstrate high performance for photocatalytic water splitting and photodecomposition of organic material. To this end bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Tf₂N]⁻)-based ILs with cations of different properties with respect to specific interactions with the target material are investigated. Isolated, 15 ± 1 nm sized nano-spheres of SrTiO₃ are observed to form in [C₃mimOH][Tf₂N] ([C₃mimOH]⁺ = 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium). Aggregation of small sized nanoparticles are observed to around 250 ± 100 nm large cube-like formations in [C₄mim][Tf₂N] ([C₄mim]⁺ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium), raspberry-like in [C₄Py][Tf₂N] ([C₄Py]⁺ butylpyridinium), and ball-like in [P₆₆₆₁₄][Tf₂N] ([P₆₆₆₁₄]⁺ tetradecyltrihexyl phosphonium). Importantly, the different materials show different performance as photocatalysts. SrTiO₃ prepared in [C₄mim][Tf₂N] shows the highest photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution (1115.4 µmol h⁻¹) when using 0.025 wt% Rh as the co-catalyst, whereas the material prepared in [C₃mimOH][Tf₂N] shows the highest activity for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (88%) under UV irradiation. The different photocatalytic activities can be correlated with the different crystal surface facets expressed in the respective nanosized SrTiO₃ material, {110} for material obtained from [C₄mim][Tf₂N], and {100} for material from [C₃mimOH][Tf₂N]. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to support the experimental findings.

Original language	English
Article number	2000180
Journal	Advanced Sustainable Systems
Volume	5
Issue	2
Number of pages	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.202000180
Publication status	Published - Feb 2021
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

hydrogen production
nanoparticles
sonochemical synthesis
strontium titanate
water splitting

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10.1002/adsu.202000180

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@article{a06299af1e8f464ba172c6f088ee7612,

title = "The Power of Ionic Liquids: Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO3 Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications",

abstract = "Sonochemical synthesis of nano-sized SrTiO3 carried out at close to room temperature, in ionic liquids (ILs) allows the tuning of particle size and particle morphology, that is, tracht and habitus, as well as particle aggregation via the choice of the ionic liquids (ILs) as the reaction medium. The nanoparticles demonstrate high performance for photocatalytic water splitting and photodecomposition of organic material. To this end bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Tf2N]−)-based ILs with cations of different properties with respect to specific interactions with the target material are investigated. Isolated, 15 ± 1 nm sized nano-spheres of SrTiO3 are observed to form in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] ([C3mimOH]+ = 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium). Aggregation of small sized nanoparticles are observed to around 250 ± 100 nm large cube-like formations in [C4mim][Tf2N] ([C4mim]+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium), raspberry-like in [C4Py][Tf2N] ([C4Py]+ butylpyridinium), and ball-like in [P66614][Tf2N] ([P66614]+ tetradecyltrihexyl phosphonium). Importantly, the different materials show different performance as photocatalysts. SrTiO3 prepared in [C4mim][Tf2N] shows the highest photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution (1115.4 µmol h−1) when using 0.025 wt% Rh as the co-catalyst, whereas the material prepared in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] shows the highest activity for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (88%) under UV irradiation. The different photocatalytic activities can be correlated with the different crystal surface facets expressed in the respective nanosized SrTiO3 material, {110} for material obtained from [C4mim][Tf2N], and {100} for material from [C3mimOH][Tf2N]. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to support the experimental findings.",

keywords = "hydrogen production, nanoparticles, sonochemical synthesis, strontium titanate, water splitting",

author = "Tarek Alammar and Volodymr Smetana and Hanwen Pei and Ines Hamm and Michael Wark and Mudring, {Anja Verena}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Advanced Sustainable Systems published by Wiley-VCH GmbH",

year = "2021",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1002/adsu.202000180",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

journal = "Advanced Sustainable Systems",

issn = "2366-7486",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",

number = "2",

}

The Power of Ionic Liquids: Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO₃ Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications. / Alammar, Tarek; Smetana, Volodymr; Pei, Hanwen et al.
In: Advanced Sustainable Systems, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2000180, 02.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Power of Ionic Liquids

T2 - Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO3 Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications

AU - Alammar, Tarek

AU - Smetana, Volodymr

AU - Pei, Hanwen

AU - Hamm, Ines

AU - Wark, Michael

AU - Mudring, Anja Verena

PY - 2021/2

Y1 - 2021/2

N2 - Sonochemical synthesis of nano-sized SrTiO3 carried out at close to room temperature, in ionic liquids (ILs) allows the tuning of particle size and particle morphology, that is, tracht and habitus, as well as particle aggregation via the choice of the ionic liquids (ILs) as the reaction medium. The nanoparticles demonstrate high performance for photocatalytic water splitting and photodecomposition of organic material. To this end bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Tf2N]−)-based ILs with cations of different properties with respect to specific interactions with the target material are investigated. Isolated, 15 ± 1 nm sized nano-spheres of SrTiO3 are observed to form in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] ([C3mimOH]+ = 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium). Aggregation of small sized nanoparticles are observed to around 250 ± 100 nm large cube-like formations in [C4mim][Tf2N] ([C4mim]+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium), raspberry-like in [C4Py][Tf2N] ([C4Py]+ butylpyridinium), and ball-like in [P66614][Tf2N] ([P66614]+ tetradecyltrihexyl phosphonium). Importantly, the different materials show different performance as photocatalysts. SrTiO3 prepared in [C4mim][Tf2N] shows the highest photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution (1115.4 µmol h−1) when using 0.025 wt% Rh as the co-catalyst, whereas the material prepared in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] shows the highest activity for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (88%) under UV irradiation. The different photocatalytic activities can be correlated with the different crystal surface facets expressed in the respective nanosized SrTiO3 material, {110} for material obtained from [C4mim][Tf2N], and {100} for material from [C3mimOH][Tf2N]. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to support the experimental findings.

AB - Sonochemical synthesis of nano-sized SrTiO3 carried out at close to room temperature, in ionic liquids (ILs) allows the tuning of particle size and particle morphology, that is, tracht and habitus, as well as particle aggregation via the choice of the ionic liquids (ILs) as the reaction medium. The nanoparticles demonstrate high performance for photocatalytic water splitting and photodecomposition of organic material. To this end bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Tf2N]−)-based ILs with cations of different properties with respect to specific interactions with the target material are investigated. Isolated, 15 ± 1 nm sized nano-spheres of SrTiO3 are observed to form in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] ([C3mimOH]+ = 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium). Aggregation of small sized nanoparticles are observed to around 250 ± 100 nm large cube-like formations in [C4mim][Tf2N] ([C4mim]+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium), raspberry-like in [C4Py][Tf2N] ([C4Py]+ butylpyridinium), and ball-like in [P66614][Tf2N] ([P66614]+ tetradecyltrihexyl phosphonium). Importantly, the different materials show different performance as photocatalysts. SrTiO3 prepared in [C4mim][Tf2N] shows the highest photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution (1115.4 µmol h−1) when using 0.025 wt% Rh as the co-catalyst, whereas the material prepared in [C3mimOH][Tf2N] shows the highest activity for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (88%) under UV irradiation. The different photocatalytic activities can be correlated with the different crystal surface facets expressed in the respective nanosized SrTiO3 material, {110} for material obtained from [C4mim][Tf2N], and {100} for material from [C3mimOH][Tf2N]. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to support the experimental findings.

KW - hydrogen production

KW - nanoparticles

KW - sonochemical synthesis

KW - strontium titanate

KW - water splitting

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097613384&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/adsu.202000180

DO - 10.1002/adsu.202000180

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85097613384

SN - 2366-7486

VL - 5

JO - Advanced Sustainable Systems

JF - Advanced Sustainable Systems

IS - 2

M1 - 2000180

ER -

The Power of Ionic Liquids: Crystal Facet Engineering of SrTiO₃ Nanoparticles for Tailored Photocatalytic Applications

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Keywords

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