Defective Nickel-Iron Layered Double Hydroxide for Enhanced Photocatalytic NO Oxidation with Significant Alleviation of NO2 Production
Xiaoyu Li , Xiaoshu Lv , Jian Pan , Peng Chen , Huihui Peng , Yan Jiang , Haifeng Gong , Guangming Jiang , Li'an Hou
Engineering ›› 2024, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (5) : 295 -304.
Defective Nickel-Iron Layered Double Hydroxide for Enhanced Photocatalytic NO Oxidation with Significant Alleviation of NO2 Production
Photocatalysis offers a sustainable means for the oxidative removal of low concentrations of NO x (NO, NO2, N2O, N2O5, etc.) from the atmosphere. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are promising candidate photocatalysts owing to their unique layered and tunable chemical structures and abundant surface hydroxide (OH−) moieties, which are hydroxyl radical (.OH) precursors. However, the practical applications of LDHs are limited by their poor charge-separation ability and insufficient active sites. Herein, we developed a facile N2H4-driven etching approach to introduce dual Ni2+ and OH− vacancies (Niv and OHv, respectively) into NiFe-LDH nanosheets (hereafter referred to as NiFe-LDH-et) to facilitate improved charge-carrier separation and active Lewis acidic site (Fe3+ and Ni2+ exposed at OHv) formation. In contrast to inert pristine LDH, NiFe-LDH-et actively removed NO under visible-light illumination. Specifically, Ni76Fe24-LDH-et etched with 1.50 mmol·L−1 N2H4 solution removed 32.8% of the NO in continuously flowing air (NO feed concentration: ∼500 parts per billion (ppb)) under visible-light illumination, thereby outperforming most reported catalysts. Experimental and theoretical data revealed that the dual vacancies promoted the production of reactive oxygen species (O2.− and .OH) and the adsorption of NO on the LDH. In situ spectroscopy demonstrated that NO was preferentially adsorbed at Lewis acidic sites, particularly exposed Fe3+ sites, converted into NO+, and subsequently oxidized to NO3 − without the notable formation of the more toxic intermediate NO2, thereby alleviating risks associated with its production and emission.
Vacancie / Layered double hydroxide / NO+ / Photocatalysis / NO removal
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