Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into solar fuels by surface modified TiO2

• Main Author: Tng, Janus Yi Qian.
• Other Authors: Xue Can
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Energy materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51362
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Industrialization results in a continuous increase in the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and affects the environment. Among these gases, carbon dioxide takes up a high percentage of 84%. In order to overcome these issues, extensive research was done on the reduction of CO2 into a source for useful energy. Titanium oxide, anatase in particular, is known give a high efficiency in reducing CO2 to valuable organic products, such as CH4, by using solar energy. However, it has some major shortfalls and hence is yet to be employed in a large scale. In view of that, this project was undertaken to develop a surface modification for TiO2 that is capable of operating in the range of visible light irradiation and capability in increasing the product yield. The surface modification was done by attaching amine functional groups onto the TiO2 particles that has high interaction with CO2. By doing so, more CO2 molecules can be captured onto the surface and significantly increases the chance of CO2 reduction. Upon attaching monoethanolamine onto the surface of TiO2 particles through hydrothermal reaction, such modification is proven to be effective in increasing the product yield of CH4 and CO with its improvement of more than 50%, as compared to the standard, bare TiO2. UV-Vis spectroscopy has also revealed that the maximum absorption of electromagnetic wavelength by TiO2 shifted slightly towards visible light region.