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Model system surface science approach to study photochemistry at adsorbate-substrate interfaces:
The trimethyl acetate, silver, titania system


EMSL Project ID
19833

Abstract

The field of heterogeneous photocatalysis on TiO2 has experienced unusual growth in the past decade because of increased interest in using light to promote chemical transformations. Researchers in the field have been slow to address fundamental questions of reaction mechanisms, specific surface reaction sites, selectivity and interplay between thermal and non-thermal processes. The vast majority of research effort has adopted an engineering approach of optimizing catalyst performance through iterative changes. Dependence on the phenomenological approach has provided conflicting explanation for such crucial issues as the explanation for the significant performance differences between the polymorphs of TiO2 (rutile, anatase or mixture thereof). We propose an experimental effort addressing the molecular-level properties of photocatalysis on TiO2 with a focus on photooxidation reactions. These offer the best venue for conducting model studies, and because there is significant interest in these reactions in the applied literature due to various potential applications of TiO2 photocatalysis (e.g., waste water and indoor air purification, disinfection, deoderization and self-cleaning surfaces).

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2006-07-27
End Date
2007-10-25
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

John White
Institution
University of Texas at Austin

Team Members

Sean Andrews
Institution
Unknown

Igor Lyubinetsky
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Michael Henderson
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Zdenek Dohnalek
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Related Publications

Henderson MA. 2008. "Ethyl Radical Ejection During Photodecomposition of Butanone on TiO2(110)." Surface Science 602(20):3188-3193. doi:10.1016/j.susc.2007.06.079
J.F. Groves, Y. Du, I. Lyubinetsky, D.R. Baer, "Focused Ion Beam Directed Self-Assembly (Cu2O on SrTiO3): FIB Pit and Cu2O Quantum Dot Evolution", Superlattices and Microstructures 44 (2008) 677-85
Y. Du, Z. Dohnálek, and I. Lyubinetsky, "Transient Mobility of Oxygen Adatoms upon O2 Dissociation on Reduced TiO2 (110)", J. Phys. Chem. C 112 (2008) 2649-53.
Z.Q. Yu, C.M. Wang, Y. Du, S. Thevuthasan, and I. Lyubinetsky, "Reproducible Tip Fabrication and Cleaning for UHV STM", Ultramicroscopy 108 (2008) 873-7.