@article {46876,
	title = {Cu-Ni bimetal integrated TiO2 thin film for enhanced solar hydrogen generation},
	journal = {Solar RRL},
	volume = {4},
	year = {2020},
	month = {MAY},
	pages = {1900557},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>A series of non-noble Cu-Ni bimetallic catalysts is prepared with different molar proportions of metals. Of these bimetallic catalysts, 1 wt\% is subsequently integrated with titania P25. The catalysts are evaluated for solar hydrogen generation under 1 sun condition in both the powder and thin film forms. All the photocatalysts in the thin film exhibit an 8-24 times higher hydrogen yield (HY) compared with the corresponding particulate counterpart. The highest HY (41.7 mmol h(-1) g(-1)) is demonstrated for the photocatalyst Cu-Ni/TiO2 (CNT; 1:1 = Cu:Ni) in the thin film form, which is 24 times higher than that with its powder counterpart (1.75 mmol h(-1) g(-1)) and exceeds the performance of other Cu-Ni/TiO2 compositions. This enhanced activity in the thin film can be ascribed to improved absorption of visible light and an effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers at the interface of Cu-Ni/TiO2 leading to better charge carrier utilization.</p>
},
	keywords = {bimetals, energy conversion, Hydrogen, Photocatalysis, solar energy},
	issn = {2367-198X},
	doi = {10.1002/solr.201900557},
	author = {Tudu, Bijoy and Nalajala, Naresh and Saikia, Pranjal and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.}
}
@article {47702,
	title = {Rationally designed, efficient, and earth-abundant Ni-Fe cocatalysts for solar hydrogen generation},
	journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering},
	volume = {9},
	year = {2021},
	month = {OCT },
	pages = {13915-13925},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Developing highly efficient and affordable catalysts for solar hydrogen (H-2) generation is crucial, and employing a cocatalyst from earth-abundant elements has a critical role to play. In this context, different compositions of earth-abundant Ni-Fe alloy (1:1, 1:3, and 3:1) have been prepared by hydrothermal method; subsequently, 1 wt \% of these Ni-Fe cocatalysts were integrated with TiO2-P25 and thoroughly characterized. The resultant catalysts have been evaluated for solar H-2 production, in powder and thin film forms, under one sun condition and in direct sunlight. Interestingly, all the catalysts in the thin film form exhibit superior hydrogen yield (HY), up to 27 times higher activity than its powder counterpart. Among the photocatalysts, Ni-Fe/TiO2 (3:1 = Ni/Fe; NFT31) composition exhibits the best HY in thin film (8.27 mmol.h(-1).g(-1)) and exceeds all other compositions of catalyst. It is also to be reported that HY measured for the powder form with 1 mg shows 3-17 times higher activity than that measured with 25 mg. This is mainly attributed to effective solar light absorption with a smaller amount of photocatalyst either spread over large area in a thin film form or well-dispersed in suspension forms. Furthermore, the enhanced activity obtained with Ni-Fe/TiO2 photocatalysts is also ascribed to strong electronic integration of Ni-Fe cocatalyst with TiO2 and higher performance obtained with a thin film is attributed to increased charge carrier generation and subsequent charge separation and effective utilization. A decrease in work function of TiO2 by 0.6 eV was observed after its integration with cocatalyst in NFT31.},
	keywords = {Cocatalyst, Hydrogen, Ni-Fe alloy, solar energy, TiO2, water splitting},
	issn = {2168-0485},
	doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c05158},
	author = {Tudu, Bijoy and Nalajala, Naresh and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Saikia, Pranjal 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.}
}
