Sustainable production of high value-added chemicals by using a citric acid-modified carbon nitride optical semiconductor

When

17/10/2019    
16:30

Raquel A Fernandes, Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM | October 17, 2019 – 16h30 | FEUP Sala B024

Student Seminar in Chemical Engineeering (DEQ-FEUP)

Heterogeneous photocatalysis appears as a green sustainable alternative to the industrial production of valueadded chemicals, operating under environmentally friendly conditions. Graphite-like carbon nitride (GCN) is an interesting semiconductor material, with metal-free character and absorption ability in the visible range spectrum. In the present work, GCN was obtained through co-polymerization of dicyandiamide with citric acid (CA). The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts (GCN-zCA) was tested both in the selective production of panisaldehyde (AAD) and hydrogen (H2) evolution, under visible-LED irradiation (λmax = 420 nm). The synthesis process promoted changes in the optical, electronical and morphological properties of GCN. Modified materials presented enhanced productions of AAD and H2 when compared with bulk GCN.

Raquel A Fernandes graduated in Biotechnology at the University of Aveiro and holds a MSc in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology from the same University. In 2016, she started her PhD fellowship on the “Photocatalytic synthesis of compounds with pharmaceutical interest” at the Associated Laboratory LSRE-LCM inFEUP. Currently, she is enrolled on the 3rd year of the PDEQB doctoral program, under the supervision of DoctorCláudia Silva, Professor Joaquim Faria and Doctor Maria José Sampaio.

 

[Host: Joaquim L Faria, Associate Laboratory, LSRE-LCM]