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α-Fe2O3 as a versatile and efficient oxygen atom transfer catalyst in combination with H2O as the oxygen source

Abstract

Haematite (α-Fe2O3) has been extensively investigated as a photoanode in photoelectrochemical water oxidation, but the product O2 has a low economic value. Here we expand its applications to the production of value-added chemicals and report its ability to act as a versatile and efficient oxygen atom transfer catalyst under visible-light irradiation. A variety of organic compounds and inorganic anions were successfully oxidized to the corresponding monooxygenation products with high selectivity and Faradaic efficiency by using water as the sole oxygen source. Photoexcited holes generate iron–oxo species (FeIV=O) on α-Fe2O3 surfaces and the process of oxygen-atom transfer is proposed to proceed via a concerted two-hole transfer pathway that involves the transfer of oxygen atoms from the surface FeIV=O to the substrates. The present study proves α-Fe2O3 is an excellent all-inorganic heterogeneous catalyst to drive oxygen atom transfer reactions, and this strategy has significant potential for the synthesis of fine and high-value-added chemicals.

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Fig. 1: Linear sweep voltammetry and photoelectrolysis experiments of MPS oxidation.
Fig. 2: pKa values and structural diagrams.
Fig. 3: Mass spectra of MPSO.
Fig. 4: Surface-hole trapping states based on EIS data.
Fig. 5: PEC OAT reactions with H2O as an oxygen atom source on α-Fe2O3.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study, which include photoanode preparation, experimental procedures, material characterization, product analysis and computational details are available in the accompanying Supplementary Information or from the authors upon reasonable request. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, grant no. XDB36000000, NSFC (nos. 21777168, 21827809 and 22072158) and the ‘National Key R&D Program of China’ (nos. 2018YFA0209302 and 2020YFC1808401).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Y. Zhao and C.C. conceived and designed the experiments. Y. Zhao performed most of the experiments. C.D. prepared α-Fe2O3 and contributed the DFT work. D.T. reproduced the results of MPS photoelectrolysis experimental data. L.D. measured and analysed the scanning electron microscopy data. Y. Zhao, C.D., D.T., L.D., Y. Zhang, H.S., H.J., W.S., W.M., C.C. and J.Z. analysed the results and reviewed the paper. C.C., Y. Zhao. and Y. Zhang wrote the paper, with input from the other authors. C.C. directed the project.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yuchao Zhang, Chuncheng Chen or Jincai Zhao.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Peer review information Nature Catalysis thanks Victor Batista, Alberto Vomiero, Li-Zhu Wu and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Materials and Methods, Figs. 1–29, Tables 1–7 and References.

Supplementary Data 1

Model for Figure S27b(α-Fe2O3).

Supplementary Data 2

Model for Figure S27b(TiO2).

Supplementary Data 3

Model for FeIII-FeIII.

Supplementary Data 4

Model for FeIII-FeIV.

Supplementary Data 5

Model for FeIV-FeIV.

Supplementary Data 6

Model for FeV-FeIII-1.

Supplementary Data 7

Model for FeV-FeIII-2.

Supplementary Data 8

Electronic structure calculations.

Source data

Source Data Fig. 1

Statistical Source Data.

Source Data Fig. 3

Statistical Source Data.

Source Data Fig. 4

Statistical Source Data.

Source Data Table 1

Statistical Source Data for Table 1.

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Zhao, Y., Deng, C., Tang, D. et al. α-Fe2O3 as a versatile and efficient oxygen atom transfer catalyst in combination with H2O as the oxygen source. Nat Catal 4, 684–691 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-021-00659-1

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