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We have prepared the first crystalline and 3D periodically ordered mesoporous quaternary semiconductor photocatalyst in an evaporation-induced self-assembly assisted soft-templating process. Using lab synthesized triblock-terpolymer poly(isoprene- b -styrene- b -ethylene oxide) (ISO) a highly ordered 3D interconnected alternating gyroid morphology was achieved exhibiting near and long-range order, as evidenced by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron microscopy (TEM/SEM). Moreover, we reveal the formation process on the phase-pure construction of the material's pore-walls with its high crystallinity, which proceeds along a highly stable W 5+ compound, by both in situ and ex situ analyses, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The resulting photocatalyst CsTaWO 6 with its optimum balance between surface area and ordered mesoporosity ultimately shows superior hydrogen evolution rates over its non-ordered reference in photocatalytic hydrogen production. This work will help to advance new self-assembly preparation pathways towards multi-element multifunctional compounds for different applications, including improved battery and sensor electrode materials.
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Effects of Periodic Pore Ordering on Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation with Mesoporous Semiconductor Oxides
Crystalline and 3D continuous mesoporous quaternary CsTaWO6semiconductors are prepared with different degrees of long‐range periodic order and local order, respectively, to investigate the influence of periodic pore order on the photocatalytic performance in hydrogen evolution of mesoporous photocatalysts. The degree of long‐range order of the mesopores is changed by modifying the ratio between metal precursors and soft polymer template poly(isoprene‐b‐styrene‐b‐ethylene oxide) (PI‐b‐PS‐b‐PEO; ISO) in the sol–gel synthesis. Long‐range periodic order is found to have no appreciable advantage compared with an only locally ordered continuous pore system. On the contrary, nonperiodically ordered mesopores result in higher activity toward photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, even with slightly smaller pore diameter and lower cumulative pore volume. Most importantly, it is shown that pore connectivity and heterogeneous pore systems in mesoporous photocatalysts play a major role for hydrogen evolution when other parameters are confirmed to be not rate limiting.
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- PAR ID:
- 10418798
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Small Structures
- Volume:
- 4
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 2688-4062
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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