Polyoxometalate derivatized metal oxide electrodes
View Patent ↗A porous transparent electrode is formed where a film comprising of semiconducting nanoparticles is decorated with polyoxometalates (POMs) bonded to their surfaces. The semiconducting nanoparticles are transparent metal oxide. The semiconducting nanoparticles include tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), or titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). In an embodiment, the POM is [SiW 12 O 40 ] 4− ; [α-P 2 W 18 O 62 ] 6− ; or [α 2 -P 2 W 17 O 61 ] 10− . The semiconducting nanoparticles bond to the POM through a combination of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The porous transparent electrode can be placed in a protonated form or ion-paired with alkali metal cations or tetraalkylammonium cations.
1. An electrocatalytic device, comprising:
a porous transparent electrode disposed in a solution,
the porous transparent electrode comprising a film comprising a plurality of semiconducting nanoparticles and a plurality of polyoxometalates (POMs) bonded to a surface of the semiconducting nanoparticles,
the porous transparent electrode being derivatized with a photosensitizer to form a layered structure,
the plurality of POMs being bonded to the semiconductor nanoparticles with metal-oxygen- metal bonds via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding between the semiconductor nanoparticles and the plurality of POMs,
the plurality of POMs being electrocatalysts for forming a high-valence metal ion,
the high-valence metal ion being Am(V), Am(VI), Bk(IV), Cf(IV), Cm(IV), or Tb(IV), and
the solution further comprising reactants for forming the high-valence metal ion.
2. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconducting nanoparticles comprise tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), or titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ).
3. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , wherein each POM of the plurality of POMs comprises [SiW 12 O 40 ] 4 , [α 2 -P 2 W 18 O 62 ] 6− , or [α 2 -P 2 W 17 O 61 ] 10− .
4. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , wherein each POM of the plurality of POMs is in a protonated form.
5. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , wherein each POM of the plurality of POMs is ion paired with an alkali metal cation or a tetraalkylammonium cation.
6. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , the high-valence metal ion being Am(V) or Am(VI).
7. The electrocatalytic device according to claim 1 , the photosensitizer being RuP 2+ .