Chemistry of Photocatalysts and Photocatalysis

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

With this renewal award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program continues its support of the work of Professor William Jenks of the Department of Chemistry at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The research will extend the PI's research in the area of titanium dioxide based photocatalysts and photocatalysis. Titanium dioxide mediated photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water is an extremely attractive concept, based on the idea that a photocatalyst absorbs light and enables the total mineralization of nearly any organic compound using only water and oxygen as reagents. Otherwise recalcitrant pollutants are converted to carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic ions. This investigation will use chemical probes to understand the effects of various modifications to titanium dioxide catalysts. The PI will develop a series of organic probe molecules whose characteristic chemical reactivity is diagnostic of different types of oxidative reaction mechanisms, and thus reactive sites on the surface of titanium dioxide. In this way, these researchers will be able to distinguish between the two basic reaction mechanisms that lead to photodegradation of organic molecules. These methods will be applied to a series of titanium dioxides in order to better understand the specific characteristics of the catalyst that determine the reaction mechanism and its efficiency. The results of these investigations will greatly assist in the understanding of those physical properties that make certain photocatalysis more successful than others and should lead to the design of new and superior catalysts for removal of harmful organic contaminants from water. This research, which includes organic and inorganic synthesis, computational chemistry, and product analysis, will lead to broad training of scientists well versed in experimental design. The incorporation of undergraduate students, many from underrepresented groups in science, into this research project will provide important opportunities for these individuals.