The University of Texas System

Sid Richardson Carbon & Energy Co.

Green Oaks Research Laboratories, Inc.

Krishnan Rajeshwar

Norma Tacconi

Brian Dennis

Wilaiwan Chanmanee

Ghazaleh Ghadimkhani

Homayon Homayoni

Vinod S Agarwala

Sanjay Basak

Yi Shen

Chalasani S Bose

Chakkankal R Chenthamarakshan

Wesley Wampler

Chang Wei

Zi Wei

Wen-Yuan Lin

Fuqiang Liu

Prithviraj Pole

Dong Liu

Thomas F Carlson

The present disclosure relates to nanocomposites of CuO/CuO and continuous flow solar reactors. The nanocomposites can be utilized as a photocatalyst and can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices. The described devices, systems, and methods can be used for converting COinto one or more alcohols and other small organics with the use of solar energy and electricity. Other embodiments are described.

Photoelectrochemical devices, methods, and systems with a cupric oxide/cuprous oxide coated electrode

An electrochemical reactor for use with a liquid electrolyte is capable of generating gaseous products. An electrically conducting porous layer that is hydrophilic on the catalyst side and hydrophobic on the gas side are utilized. These different surface properties promote the transport of product gases formed at the catalyst through the porous layer to the gas side. The catalyst is formed from a hybrid CuO&#x2014;CuBr film that has a high selectivity for ethylene gas from reacting COand water in an electrochemical cell.

Continuous flow reactor and hybrid electro-catalyst for high selectivity production of C2H4 from CO2 and water via electrolysis

In one aspect, solar energy systems are described herein. In some embodiments, such a comprises an electrochemical cell comprising a photoelectrode, a counter electrode, and an ion transport membrane disposed between the photoelectrode and counter electrode. The cell further comprises a first electrolyte solution disposed in fluid communication with the photoelectrode and the membrane, and a second electrolyte solution disposed in fluid communication with the membrane and the counter electrode. The first and/or second electrolyte solution comprises a solvated redox pair. Additionally, the cell also comprises a storage electrode, a first external electrical connection between the photoelectrode and the counter electrode, and a second external electrical connection between the counter electrode and the storage electrode. Components of the system define a liquid junction photovoltaic cell under light conditions and a galvanic cell under dark conditions.

Solar energy systems

The nanocomposites that include CuO/CuO are described. The nanocomposites can utilized as a photocatalyst and can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices. The described devices, systems, and methods can be used for converting COinto one or more alcohols with the use of solar energy and electricity.

A photocatalytic metal deposition process and a resulting nanocomposite are described. The nanocomposite includes an electrically conducting carbonaceous material, a photoactive metal oxide and a metal. Metals for deposition include noble metals, metal alloys and other transition metals in which the metal is laid down precisely and in a predetermined fashion on one or more surfaces of a composite. Deposition provides a high performance electrocatalyst for a number of suitable applications.

Photocatalytic deposition of metals and compositions comprising the same

A process of stripping a coating according to the invention comprises subjecting a coated substrate to an aqueous medium containing a peroxide and an interfacial mixing agent, and to heating preferably by either ultraviolet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) radiation. The substrate is completely stripped of the coating and suffers no damage to itself as a result of the paint debonding/dislodging process. No toxic wastes are generated from this process, nor are particulates associated with air pollution generated. The metal substrates being stripped also do not undergo corrosion or other damage as a result of the described process.

Process for removing a coating from a substrate

The treatment of solutions of metal ions with redox polymers under conditions to reduce the ions to a lower valence. The resulting solutions of the lower valence ions are separated from the polymers, and the polymers are regenerated for further use in such treatment. The method of the invention is employed to convert high valence, toxic metal ions to lower valence ions of reduced toxicity. Preferably, the electronically conductive polymer is mounted on a suitable support, and a solution of the toxic metal ion is brought into contact with the polymer. A variety of redox polymers, in particular, electronically conductive polymers, may be used in the practice of the invention, and individual such polymers may be structurally altered to suit particular metal ions. Polymers especially contemplated for use in the invention are polypyrroles, polyanilines and polythiophenes. All of these polymers are characterized as redox polymers with a positive charge on their backbones. In general, suitable polymers are redox polymers bearing a positive charge on their backbones with an E.sub.o of the (surface) redox couple sufficiently negative to react with a metal ion of interest. Thus, for example, an E.sub.o more negative than 1.16V is preferred for the recovery of Cr(VI).

Redox polymer films for metal recovery applications

The present invention concerns an electronically conductive polymer film comprising colloidal catalytic particles homogeneously dispersed therein. The electronically conductive polymer is preferably polypyrrole although other conductive polymers, for example, polyaniline and polythiophene are also utilizable. The preferred catalytic particles are platinum although other catalytic particles such as RuO.sub.2, Ag, Pd, Ni, Cd, Co, Mo, Mn-oxide, Mn-sulfide, a molybdate, a tungstate, tungsten carbide, a thiospinel, Ru, Rh, Os, It, or a platinum palladium alloy (Pt/Pd). The colloidal catalytic particles incorporated in the film of the present invention are less than 100 nanometers in size, preferably about 10 nm in size. In a most preferred composition, the polymer is polypyrrole and the catalytic particles are platinum. The present invention also involves a method of producing an electronically conductive polymer film containing colloidal catalytic particles homogeneously dispersed therein. This method comprises: 1) preparing a colloidal suspension of catalytic particles in a solution comprising an electronically conductive polymer precursor. The catalytic particles may be those listed above, preferably platinum, and the electronically conductive polymer precursor is preferably pyrrole although aniline and thiophene or other monomers leading to conductive polymers may also be utilized analogously. An electronically conductive polymer film is then electrosynthesized, incorporating homogeneously dispersed colloidal catalytic particles. In an important embodiment of the present invention, colloidal platinum particles are produced by citrate reduction of Pt (IV) to Pt.sup.0. Most preferably, this citrate reduction involves a sub-stoichiometric level of citrate as compared to the Pt (IV) level. Another important aspect of the present invention is the utilization of the porous conductive polymeric matrix of the present invention which includes homogeneously dispersed colloidal catalytic particles to catalyze a reaction. Such a catalytic reaction involves subjection of reactants to this material in an electrochemically conductive or other context. Advantages of this type of catalysis involves ready retrieval of the catalytic particles, efficient utilization of expensive catalytic particles such as platinum, resistance of the particles to at least high molecular weight poisons which will not penetrate the polymeric matrix and, finally, the lack of saturation of catalytic activity in contrast to that seen with surface coated thin polymer layers.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, TX, United States of America

Krishnan Rajeshwar