Engineering topics
Durkin, David P.
Publications and source records attributed to Durkin, David P..
Environmental application of chlorine-doped graphitic carbon nitride: Continuous solar-driven photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide
Solar-driven photocatalytic generation of H 2 O 2 over metal-free catalysts is a sustainable approach for value-added chemical production. Here, we synthesized chlorine-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Cl-doped g-C 3 N 4 ) through a solvothermal method to effectively produce H 2 O 2 with a rate of 1.19 ± 0.06 µM min –1 under visible light irradiation, which was improved by 104 times compared to pristine g-C 3 N 4 . Continuous net production of H 2 O 2 was realized at a rate of 2.78 ± 0.10 µM min –1 up to 54 h with isopropanol as the hole scavenger, whereas H 2 O 2 production was only sustained for ~ 6 h without scavengers. Both molecular simulations and advanced spectroscopic characterizations elucidated that the Cl dopant increased the charge transfer rate, decreased the bandgap, and reduced the activation energy of the rate-limiting step of O 2 reduction, all of which favored H 2 O 2 production. Furthermore, this work implemented a novel metal-free photocatalyst for sustainable H 2 O 2 production and elucidated the mechanism for promoting H 2 O 2 production that can guide future photoreactive nanomaterial design.
Fe-based single-atom catalysis for oxidizing contaminants of emerging concern by activating peroxide
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Lignocellulose-stabilized iron-palladium nanomagnetic biocomposites
In this study we report the synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic Fe-Pd (1–75 at.% Fe) nanomagnets grown within a lignocellulose fiber matrix for future advanced material applications. The small (~5 nm diameter) Fe-Pd nanoparticles are crystalline with spherical shape and evenly dispersed throughout the lignocellulose support while preserving the structure of the biopolymer matrix. Material characterization of the as-formed biocomposites confirms primarily zero-valent Pd-Fe alloy with a thin surface oxide layer. Normal superparamagnetic behavior consistent with extremely small nanoparticle size is measured, including increasing measured blocking temperature with increasing Fe concentration. Finally, important mass loading effects of metallic nanoparticles within the lignocellulose matrix are measured and discussed.