Photogenerated outer electric field induced electrophoresis of organic nanocrystals for effective solid-solid photocatalysis.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38200002.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-44700-w and PMC identifier 10781792.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Rapid mass transfer in solid-solid reactions is crucial for catalysis. Although phoretic nanoparticles offer potential for increased collision efficiency between solids, their implementation is hindered by limited interaction ranges. Here, we present a self-driven long-range electrophoresis of organic nanocrystals facilitated by a rationally designed photogenerated outer electric field (OEF) on their surface. Employing perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) molecular nanocrystals as a model, we demonstrate that a directional OEF with an intensity of 13.6-0.4 kV m<sup>-1</sup> across a range of 25-200 μm. This OEF-driven targeted electrophoresis of PTCDA nanocrystals onto the microplastic surface enhances the activity for subsequent decomposition of microplastics (196.8 mg h<sup>-1</sup>) into CO<sub>2</sub> by solid-solid catalysis. As supported by operando characterizations and theoretical calculations, the OEF surrounds PTCDA nanocrystals initially, directing from the electron-rich (0 1 1) to the hole-rich [Formula: see text] surface. Upon surface charge modulation, the direction of OEF changes toward the solid substrate. The OEF-driven electrophoretic effect in organic nanocrystals with anisotropic charge enrichment characteristics indicates potential advancements in realizing effective solid-solid photocatalysis.