Photocorrosion of copper sulfides: Toward a solar mining industry

Highly Efficient Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Using Nontoxic CuIn1.5Se3 Quantum Dots with ZnS/SiO2 Double Overlayers

“…This instability of CISe QDs is attributed to their photocorrosion in the electrolyte. 28 The chemical state and surface composition of CISe QDs after the photoelectrolysis for 2 h were characterized by XPS, as before the photoelectrolysis in Figure 3, it is obvious that the impurities on the QD surface increase during the photoelectrolysis. The major origin for the photocorrosion is the generation of surface defect sites under illumination, resulting in decomposition of CISe into impurities, which causes optical and chemical instabilities.…”

“…As shown in Figure d, while the photocurrent density of a bare TiO 2 photoanode was maintained for 2 h, that of the TiO 2 /CISe photoanode was gradually decayed down to 35% of its initial value, indicating the instability of CISe QDs under illumination. This instability of CISe QDs is attributed to their photocorrosion in the electrolyte …”

Heterojunction-based photocatalytic nitrogen fixation: principles and current progress

“…Depending on the material, under light illumination, semiconductors can be oxidised or reduced, resulting in the decomposition of the semiconductor material and subsequent deactivation of the photocatalysts. 67 For example, in the case of metal sulphides, sulphide ions (S 2− ) are usually oxidised by holes to form sulphate ions (SO 4 2− ) or sulphur, 68 while silver-based materials are reduced to metallic Ag 0 by the photogenerated electrons. 69 Additionally, the reaction intermediates of the NRR can also act as a catalyst poison or occupy N 2 adsorption sites, resulting in sluggish reaction kinetics.…”

The Role of Solar Energy (UV-VIS-NIR) as an Assistant for Sulfide Minerals Leaching and Its Potential Application for Metal Extraction

“…In addition, copper sulfides have been employed in photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical solar cells with high energy conversion efficiencies, including CdS, Cu 2 S, CuInS 2 , MoS 2 , and other sulfides [49][50][51]. It is important to consider that some of the metallurgical products, mainly concentrates, contain semiconductor materials, primarily sulfide minerals (Chalcopyrite, Chalcocite, Covellite, Pyrite, Bornite) along with transition metal oxidized compounds (Copper oxides, oxides, and hydroxides of iron), natural transition metal compounds and gangue [52][53][54]. These compounds can, eventually, be activated under specific UV-VIS-NIR irradiation acting as a photocatalyst in solar assisted leaching process [55].…”

“…The direct effect of the solar irradiation in Cu and Fe leaching was studied by Yepsen et al (2018) [54] using minerals such as chalcopyrite, covellite and chalcocite, which are a natural metal-doped transition. They showed that metal leaching increases by effect of UV-VIS-NIR irradiation, compared to the absence of irradiation (dark process).…”