Process for the sensitization of an oxidation/reduction photocatalyst, and photocatalyst thus obtained
AssigneeR. E. Stiftung
InventorsMichael Graetzel, Nick Serpone, Dung Duonghong
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Abstract
A photocatalyst for photodecomposition of liquids is sensitized to visible light by chemically bonding to the catalyst a complex of a transition metal with a bipyridyl or phenanthrolyl type ligand.
Claims8
A process for the sensitization of a titanium oxide-based oxidation/reduction photocatalyst, which comprises chemically bonding to its surface a chromophore consisting of a fragment of a complex of a transition metal with a ligand of the bipyridyl or phenanthrolyl type, causing the light absorption band of the catalyst to shift into the visible region.
The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the photocatalyst is irradiated in the presence of an acid aqueous solution of a complex of the formula:
- (RuL.sub.3).sup.++ 2X.sup.-
- in which the symbol L is defined in claim 6 and X represents a halogen atom.
A process for the sensitization of a semiconductor-based oxidation/reduction photocatalyst, which comprises chemically bonding to its surface a chromophore consisting of a fragment of a complex of a transition metal with a ligand of the bipyridyl or phenanthrolyl type, causing the light absorption band of the catalyst to shift into the visible region.
A process for the sensitization of a titanium oxide-based oxidation/reduction photocatalyst which comprises chemically bonding to its surface a chromophore consisting of a fragment selected from the group consisting of ruthium, chromium and iron complexes with the ligand diisopropyl 2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate, causing the light absorption band of the catalyst to shift into the visible region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.