Research Paper by Assistant Professor Haruki Nagakawa Selected for Journal Cover

A paper authored by Assistant Professor Haruki Nagakawa of the CRERC Synthesis Unit has been accepted for the cover of the journal Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research, published in May 2024. The paper can be found at the following URL.

The title: Influence of Sacrificial Reagents on the Photodeposition Reaction of Cocatalysts
https://doi.org/10.1002/aesr.202300295

Hydrogen is an essential raw material for the synthesis of fuels from carbon dioxide. Photocatalytic reaction is a method to produce hydrogen from water using the energy of sunlight and is attracting attention as a green hydrogen production method. In particular, photocatalysts with supported Au nanoparticles are known to be highly active in the hydrogen production reaction.

This study investigated the effect of reducing agents on the “photodeposition reaction”, a common composite method of Au nanoparticle. As a result, it was found that the complex formation of precursor metal ions and changes in pH lead to changes in the composite state of Au nanoparticles by the reducing agent. This finding contributes to the development of photocatalytic materials suitable for hydrogen production.