Enhancing photocatalysis by means of up-conversion photonics materials for pollutant degradation and hydrogen generation: “bridge the gap”

P. Acosta-Mora; J. Méndez Ramos; J. del-Castillo; S. Torres-García; C. Hernández-Álvarez; M. Medina-Alayón; Á. C. Yanes; A. Menéndez-Velázquez

doi:10.1117/12.2622424

25 May 2022 Enhancing photocatalysis by means of up-conversion photonics materials for pollutant degradation and hydrogen generation: “bridge the gap”

P. Acosta-Mora, J. Méndez Ramos, J. del-Castillo, S. Torres-García, C. Hernández-Álvarez, M. Medina-Alayón, Á. C. Yanes, A. Menéndez-Velázquez

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Proceedings Volume 12142, Fiber Lasers and Glass Photonics: Materials through Applications III; 121420U (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2622424
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2022, Strasbourg, France

Abstract

Enhancing the efficiency of solar energy harvesting schemes, particularly photocatalytic processes, by means of spectral converting materials stands up as an emerging route not yet fully explored. In this context, there is a growing interest in harvesting energy from the large near-infrared (NIR) range of solar radiation (approx. 60% in terms of the photon number or 40% of the energy from the sun’s total incoming radiation) for various energy and environmental applications. The immediate goal is to bridge the gaps of photocatalysts by shifting NIR photons into UV-VIS ones through up-conversion photonic mechanisms. Here we present different photonic materials (glasses, crystals and solvothermal core-shell nanocrystals) showing high intense NIR-to-UV-VIS upconversion luminescence. Photocatalytic degradation of organic dye methylene blue as a pollutant model has been successfully attained under NIR radiation. We have also successfully achieved hydrogen and oxygen evolution via water-splitting using Al-doped SrTiO3 (STO:Al) photocatalyst, loaded with rhodium-chromium oxide (RhCrOx) as a hydrogen evolution cocatalyst in order to enable the overall water-splitting reaction. Both experiments have been carried out under low-power commercial 980 nm laser irradiation. Up-conversion driven photocatalysis is proved, as a solely photonic effect, converting incident NIR radiation before reaching the contaminated solution. We also explore the implementation of rare-earth doped upconversion materials with the performance of luminescent solar concentrators (LSC), as a promising option for enhancing the efficiency of optical devices

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P. Acosta-Mora, J. Méndez Ramos, J. del-Castillo, S. Torres-García, C. Hernández-Álvarez, M. Medina-Alayón, Á. C. Yanes, and A. Menéndez-Velázquez "Enhancing photocatalysis by means of up-conversion photonics materials for pollutant degradation and hydrogen generation: “bridge the gap”", Proc. SPIE 12142, Fiber Lasers and Glass Photonics: Materials through Applications III, 121420U (25 May 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2622424

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KEYWORDS

Near infrared

Crystals

Hydrogen

Strontium

Photonics

Semiconductor lasers

Solar energy

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