Photocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Organic Compounds Using A Green Photocatalyst

This photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide laboratory experiment is designed for an advanced undergraduate chemistry or chemical engineering majors laboratory course. It introduces the science of emerging sustainable energy technologies through hands-on experimentation. By photo-irradiating a glass flask containing water, catalyst and carbon dioxide, students explore the potential of new carbon-doping procedures in carbon dioxide reduction to organics. Catalysts included in the present study include anatase titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide with copper, carbon-doped titanium dioxide, carbon-doped titanium dioxide with copper, titanium oxysulfate-based titanium dioxide with copper, and titanium oxysulfate-based titanium dioxide with copper. Carbon doping shifts the semiconductor’s light adsorption into the visible light region, where solar radiation has the highest intensity. With this sufficiently simple, hands-on experiment, the students investigate the extent of photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to organic compounds, impact of carbon-doping techniques for reducing the band gap of titanium dioxide, role of copper, and efficiency of titanium dioxide with copper based titanium dioxide.