Aerosol processing technique for the synthesis of mixed-phase copper on carbon catalyst: insights into CO2adsorption and photocatalytic activity

Nabin Subedi; Arunas Mesceriakovas; Khai Pham; Anne Heponiemi; Tommi Karhunen; Jarkko J Saarinen; Ulla Lassi; Anna Lähde

doi:10.1088/1361-6528/ac8d9a

Aerosol processing technique for the synthesis of mixed-phase copper on carbon catalyst: insights into CO₂adsorption and photocatalytic activity

Nanotechnology. 2022 Sep 19;33(49). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac8d9a.

Authors

Nabin Subedi¹, Arunas Mesceriakovas¹, Khai Pham², Anne Heponiemi³, Tommi Karhunen¹, Jarkko J Saarinen², Ulla Lassi³, Anna Lähde¹

Affiliations

¹ Fine Particle and Aerosol Technology Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland.
³ Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 4300, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland.

PMID: 36041324
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac8d9a

Abstract

In this study, spray pyrolysis; an aerosol processing technique was utilized to produce a mixed-phase copper on carbon (Cu/Cu_xO@C) catalyst. The catalyst production was performed via chemical reduction of copper nitrate by a reducing sugar, i.e. glucose, using aqueous solution. The physical and chemical properties of the produced particles was assessed using various characterization techniques. The synthesis temperature had pronounced effect on the final particles. Since CO₂adsorption onto the catalyst is an important step in catalytic CO₂reduction processes, it was studied using thermogravimetric and temperature programmed desorption techniques. Additionally, photocatalytic activity of the particles was evaluated by gas-phase oxidation of acetylene gas which revealed excellent activity under both UV and visible light irradiation indicating the possible use of wider range of the solar spectrum.

Keywords: CO2 adsorption; aerosol processing of materials; copper oxides; photocatalyis; spray pyrolysis.