@article {48273,
	title = {Selective and generic photocatalytic oxidation of alcohol with Pd-TiO2 thin films: butanols to butanal/butanone with different morphologies of Pd and 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd counterparts},
	journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal},
	volume = {18},
	year = {2023},
	month = {MAR},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>The present study reports on the photocatalytic oxidation of butanols to butanal/butanone using thin film form of facet-dependent nano-Pd supported on commercial TiO2 under one-sun condition and demonstrates the generic nature. Pd-nanocube (Pd-NC(100)), Pd-truncated octahedron (Pd-TO (100) and (111)), polycrystalline (Pd-PC), and their counterparts with half-a-monolayer Pt-coated on Pd (0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd)) have been used as co-catalyst. A potentially scalable thin film form of Pd/TiO2 photocatalyst, prepared by drop-casting method, has been employed to study oxidation of n-butanol, 2-butanol, and iso-butanol to corresponding aldehyde/ketone. 100\% selectivity is demonstrated to respective aldehyde/ketone with any catalyst used in the present study with varying degree of butanols conversion by NMR. 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/TiO2 shows the highest conversion of 2-butanol to butanone (13.6\% in 4 h). Continuous 10 h of reaction with the most active 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/P25 catalyst demonstrates 31\% conversion of 2-butanol to butanone, and catalyst recyclability has been demonstrated. The present protocol can be scalable to large scales to maximize the conversion in direct sunlight. Due to its generic nature, the current method can also be applied to many other alcohols and substrate molecules.</p>
},
	keywords = {energy conversion, Nanomaterials, Oxidation, Photocatalysis, Sustainability},
	issn = {1861-4728},
	doi = {10.1002/asia.202201239},
	author = {Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Kale, Sandip R. and Nalajala, Naresh and Mansuri, Sayana and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.}
}
@article {49792,
	title = {Visible-light-driven photocatalytic glycerol oxidation to value-added and highly selective glyceric/lactic acid},
	journal = {ChemiCatChem},
	volume = {17},
	year = {2025},
	month = {SEP},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	Achieving economical and sustainable artificial photosynthesis (APS) in direct sunlight for liquid fuel production with high efficiency remains an important challenge. A major obstacle in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) oxidation of organic compounds is attaining high selectivity with the desired product(s). This study introduces a novel strategy by integrating BiVO4 quantum dots (BVQDs), structurally and electronically, into the nanopores of commercial TiO2 (BVT for BVQDs integrated in pores of TiO2) to improve solar-driven photocatalysis. The band gap of the BVT photoanode decreases to 2.53 eV as compared to pure TiO2 (3.2 eV), which enhances visible light absorption and charge separation. BVT with Pt as a co-catalyst acts as an APS system, which selectively oxidizes glycerol into lactic acid (100\% selectivity at 1 mM glycerol) and glyceric acid (98\% selectivity at 100 mM), while simultaneously generating green hydrogen. Selectivity of the product can be further controlled by anaerobic or aerobic conditions as well as the length of the reaction time. Direct integration of BVQDs into TiO2 mesopores significantly enhances charge separation as well as utilization at redox sites. Current work provides key insights into optimizing photocatalytic conditions for highly selective value-added chemical production, which highlights the sustainability and efficacy of TiO2-based semiconductors with quantum dot integration.</p>
},
	keywords = {energy conversion, Energy storage, Photocatalysis, Quantum material, solar energy},
	issn = {1867-3880},
	doi = {10.1002/cctc.202500641},
	author = {Kulkarni-Sambhare, Mukta and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Saha, Avishek and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.}
}
