We report direct overall pure water splitting by visible light excited graphitic carbon nitride incorporated with conjugated aromatic rings without using sacrificial agents.

No abstract

No abstract

The hydrogenolysis of sorbitol into 1,2-propanediol (PD), ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol (G) was investigated over Ni, Pt and Ru supported on NaY at 220°C and 60 bar in a batch reactor. Ni(6 %)-NaY was investigated in detail at different process conditions, including its recyclability. Attempts have been made to rationalize the experimentally observed conversion and product selectivity obtained over the different catalysts with results of Density Functional Theory calculations of adsorption energy and bond length changes in sorbitol adsorbed over various planes of Ni, Pt and Ru.

No abstract

Optoelectronic properties of symmetrical and unsymmetrical fluoreno-thienyl π-semiconductors were studied.

Developing nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts to convert water into green fuels (H2 and O2) is key to address urgent climate and energy challenges. We have prepared an electrocatalyst by the immobilization of NiCo2O4 on a phosphazene-based covalent organic polymer (P-COP) through a facile hydrothermal method. The elemental composition of the P-COP showed the presence of a greater amount of heteroatoms N (6.62%) and P (5.62%) throughout the polymer support. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were utilized to determine the atomic structure of the nanocuboids, which depicted the formation of an inverse spinel structure. A NiCo2O4-P-COP-based electrode was simultaneously used for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and it displayed a minimum overpotential of 270 and 130 mV (V vs RHE), respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm–2. In addition, it acted as an oxygen reduction catalyst with a half-wave potential of 0.83 V (V vs RHE) and a maximum current density of 4.5 mA cm–2. The electrocatalytic activity is comparable with that of the commercially available Pt and RuO2 catalysts. The combined experimental and computational studies confirm that the catalytic centers formed through the interaction between the heteroatoms (N and P) in the phosphazene matrix and metal oxides (Co and Ni) play an important role in its improved durability and electrocatalytic activity.

No abstract