Photocatalytic material for splitting oxides of carbon
An embodiment relates to a photocatalytic composite material comprising (a) a first component that generates a photoexcited electron and has at least a certain minimum bandgap to absorb visible light and a structure that substantially prevents the recombination of the photoexcited electron and a hole; (b) a second component that adsorbs/absorbs an oxide of carbon; and (c) a third component that splits the oxide of carbon into carbon and oxygen using the photoexcited electron.
1. A method of carbon sequestration, the method comprising:
exposing an oxide of carbon to a carbon sequestration device and splitting the oxide of carbon to form carbon black and oxygen;
wherein:
the carbon sequestration device comprises a photocatalytic composite material; and the photocatalytic composite material generates a photoexcited electron; adsorbs or absorbs the oxide of carbon; and splits the oxide of carbon into the carbon black and oxygen with the photoexcited electron.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the oxide of carbon comprises exposing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon suboxide, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic composite material comprises:
a first component that generates the photoexcited electron and a hole and has a minimum bandgap to absorb visible light and a structure that substantially prevents the recombination of the photoexcited electron and the hole;
a second component that adsorbs or absorbs the oxide of carbon; and
a third component that splits the oxide of carbon into the carbon black and the oxygen with the photoexcited electron.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the photocatalytic composite material comprises a cluster or particle, the cluster or particle comprises the first component, the second component, and the third component;
and the first component comprises a photocatalyst.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the photocatalyst comprises a semiconductor.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor comprises titanium oxynitrate.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the titanium oxynitrate is crystalline.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the minimum bandgap is at least about 3.4 eV.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first component comprises titanium oxy nitrate of formula TiOxNy, wherein x=4.1, 4.3, 4.5, or 4.7 and y=1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, or 1.39.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second component comprises CaCO 3 , MgCO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , or combinations of any two or more thereof.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second component comprises a Group I or II carbonate.
12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the third component comprises WC, TaO 2 , Pd, Pt, Ru, Sn, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the carbon black from a surface of the photocatalytic composite material.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon sequestration device further comprises a substrate.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises a transparent or non-transparent non-conductive material.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises quartz, plastic, glass, a wall, a roof, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the device further comprises a conductive layer between the substrate and the photocatalytic composite material.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a metal layer, an indium-tin-oxide layer, a zinc oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, or a combination of any two or more thereof.