Abstract
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•It is almost quantitatively efficient photocatalytic mineralization by irradiating 600-nm light.•The apparent initial external quantum efficiency of CO2 generation from trimethylamine was close to unity.•The action spectrum of CO2 generation covered almost the full spectrum of visible light.
This article describes a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) and C60 nanocomposites synthesized by a reprecipitation process. The full-spectrum-visible-light (420–800nm) photocatalysis was demonstrated by mineralization under illumination of weak light intensity (in the order of 1mW/cm2) for aqueous trimethylamine (TMA) and almost agreed with its absorption spectra. Other aqueous volatile molecules of acetaldehyde (AcH) and 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) were decomposed to CO2. CoPc/C60 nanocomposite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than independent nanoparticles of CoPc or C60 as well as AlPc/C60 composite. The oxidation power would arose from the hole generated at p/n junction like interface, which was suggested by photoelectrochemical oxidation experiments. The initial external quantum efficiencies of (EQEh+) estimated from CO2 generation reached to unity under the light intensity of 1mW/cm2, while later EQEh+ was ∼10−4.