The aqueous route for mineralization of CO 2 is considered one of the least energy consuming processes for carbon capture and storage. Reversible hydration of CO 2 is one of the slowest steps in the mineralization process, however, it can be enhanced using nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs). In this study we evaluate the influence of photochemical effects on the catalytic activity of NiNPs for hydration of CO 2 by comparing pH change profiles of catalysed and uncatalysed reactions under different solar irradiation conditions. The activity of NiNPs for CO 2 hydration is observed under artificial solar radiation, with and without an infrared (IR) filter and in dark conditions. It is found that the rate of CO 2 hydration is enhanced by~16 % in the presence of IR-filtered solar radiation and by~24 % with the presence of IR radiation. The enhancement of activity is attributed to absorption associated with the NiNP surface plasmon resonance at 400 nm.
The cover picture shows an artistic view of the photocatalytic activity of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) for CO2 hydration. The CO2 molecules emitted from the power plant react with water in the presence of NiNPs and sunlight to form carbonic acid. Sunlight enhances the activity of NiNPs for CO2 hydration. NiNPs accelerate the rate of CO2 absorption and aqueous mineralization. NiNPs are cheaper and easier to reuse than conventional catalysts. The plasmonic resonance of the NiNPs is a possible reason for this photocatalytic activity. Further details of the results can be found in the Full paper by Bhaduri et al. (DOI: 10.1002/slct.201600317) (Design: F.J. Gibbons).
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