A German research team has developed bimetallic two-dimensional supercrystals with excellent catalytic properties. They can be used to produce hydrogen by decomposing formic acid, with record results.
       Scientists led by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) in Germany have developed a photocatalytic technology for hydrogen production based on plasma bimetallic two-dimensional supercrystals.
       The researchers assembled plasmonic structures by combining individual gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs).
       Researcher Emiliano Cortes said: “The arrangement of gold nanoparticles is extremely effective at focusing incident light and generating strong local electric fields, so-called hot spots, that form between the gold particles.”
        In the proposed system configuration, visible light interacts very strongly with the electrons in the metal and causes them to vibrate resonantly, causing the electrons to collectively move rapidly from one side of the nanoparticle to the other. This creates a tiny magnet that experts call a dipole moment.
        It is the product of the size of the charge and the distance between the centers of positive and negative charges. When this happens, the nanoparticles capture more sunlight and convert it into extremely energetic electrons. They help control chemical reactions.
       The academic community has tested the effectiveness of plasmonic bimetallic 2D supercrystals in decomposing formic acid.
       “The probe reaction was chosen because gold is less reactive than platinum and because it is a carbon-neutral H2 carrier,” they said.
       “The experimentally enhanced performance of platinum under illumination suggests that the interaction of incident light with the gold array results in the formation of platinum under voltage,” they said. “Indeed, when formic acid is used as the H2 carrier, AuPt supercrystals appear to have the best plasma performance.”
        The crystal showed a H2 production rate of 139 mmol per gram of catalyst per hour. The research team said this means the photocatalytic material now holds the world record for producing hydrogen by dehydrogenating formic acid under the influence of visible light and solar radiation.
        The scientists propose a new solution in the paper “Plasmonic bimetallic 2D supercrystals for hydrogen generation,” recently published in the journal Nature Catalice. The team includes researchers from the Free University of Berlin, the University of Hamburg and the University of Potsdam.
        “By combining plasmons and catalytic metals, we are advancing the development of powerful photocatalysts for industrial applications. This is a new way to use sunlight and also has the potential for other reactions, such as converting carbon dioxide into useful substances,” said Cole Thes. .
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