Rita Giovannetti

Application of Cu(II) and Zn(II) coproporphyrins as sensitizers for thin film dye sensitized solar cells

We synthesized the Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of the 2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid of 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H porphyrin (coproporphyrin-I) and successfully employed them as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. Copper(II) coproporphyrin-I exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 3.8% measured under irradiation of AM 1.5G full sunlight (100 mW cm−2).

Study of Solvent Extraction of Mercury(II) with Dibenzo-18-Crown-6 from Hydrochloric Acid Solution into Benzene

The effect of Li+, K+, NH+4, Ca2+ or Sr2+ in the extraction of mercury(II) as chloro-complexes from solutions in hydrochloric acid with dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) into benzene and the stoichiometries of the reactions have been studied. The crystalline extracted species were characterized by morphological and microanalysis measurements by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry respectively.

Spectrophotometric study of coproporphyrin-I complexes of copper(II) and cobalt(II)

The reagent 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H-porphine-2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid or coproporphyrin-I (CPI) was used for the spectrophotometric determination of copper(II) and cobalt(II) in the presence of pyridine and imidazole catalysts. Optimum conditions were investigated and the methods were applied to the determination of parts per billion levels of copper(II) and cobalt(II). The Sandell sensitivities of the recommended procedures were 0.568 mum cm(-2) and 0.464 mug cm(-2) (for A = 0.001) for copper and cobalt, respectively. The relative standard deviations were 2.0% for copper and 1.0% for cobalt. The kinetics of the reaction of CPI with copper(II) and cobalt(II) in the presence of the catalysts and the influence of the temperature were studied, and their kinetic constants determined. The influence of light on the photodecomposition of CPI was also studied.

Visible light photoactivity of Polypropylene coated Nano-TiO2 for dyes degradation in water.

The use of Polypropylene as support material for nano-TiO2 photocatalyst in the photodegradation of Alizarin Red S in water solutions under the action of visible light was investigated. The optimization of TiO2 pastes preparation using two commercial TiO2, Aeroxide P-25 and Anatase, was performed and a green low-cost dip-coating procedure was developed. Scanning electron microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction analysis were used in order to obtain morphological and structural information of as-prepared TiO2 on support material. Equilibrium and kinetics aspects in the adsorption and successive photodegradation of Alizarin Red S, as reference dye, are described using polypropylene-TiO2 films in the Visible/TiO2/water reactor showing efficient dyes degradation.

Kinetic model for astaxanthin aggregation in water-methanol mixtures

The aggregation of astaxanthin in hydrated methanol was kinetically studied in the temperature range from 10 degrees C to 50 degrees C, at different astaxanthin concentrations and solvent composition. A kinetic model for the formation and transformation of astaxanthin aggregated has been proposed. Spectrophotometric studies showed that monomeric astaxanthin decayed to H-aggregates that after-wards formed J-aggregates when water content was 50% and the temperature lower than 20 degrees C; at higher temperatures, very stable J-aggregates were formed directly. Monomer formed very stable H-aggregates when the water content was greater than 60%; in these conditions H-aggregates decayed into J-aggregates only when the temperature was at least 50 degrees C. Through these findings it was possible to establish that the aggregation reactions took place through a two steps consecutive reaction with first order kinetic constants and that the values of these depended on the solvent composition and temperature.

Reactions of anionic porphyrin with group 11 elements: a spectrophotometric and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry study

The reaction of 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H-porphine-2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid or coproporphyrin-I (CPI) with the elements of 11 group have been studied. CPI is an anionic porphyrin that slowly reacts with copper ion to form Cu(II)CPI and with silver ions to form Ag(II)CPI, Ag(III)CPI complexes and colloidal silver. Gold ions do not form complexes with CPI, but, in the main, colloidal gold and some CPI-N-oxide. The kinetics of the reactions with copper and silver were spectrophotometerically studied and the rate constants were calculated. The identification and characterization of this water-soluble anionic porphyrin and its metal complexes have been performed by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) that proved to be an excellent method for these determinations. The multiple charged parent ions for metal free ligand and their metal complexes were identified.

Ni Mg mixed metal oxides for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells

Mg Ni mixed metal oxide photocathodes have been prepared by a mixed NiCl2/MgCl2 sol-gel process. The MgO/NiO electrodes have been extensively characterized using physical and electrochemical methods. Dye-sensitized solar cells have been prepared from these films, and the higher concentrations of MgO improved the photovoltage of these devices; however, there was a notable drop in photocurrent with increasing Mg(2+). Charge extraction and XPS experiments revealed that the cause of this was a positive shift in the energy of the valence band, which decreased the driving force for electron transfer from the NiO film to the dye and, therefore, the photocurrent. In addition, increasing concentrations of MgO increases the volume of pores between 0.500 and 0.050 μm, while reducing pore volumes in the mesopore range (less than 0.050 μm) and lowering BET surface area from approximately 41 down to 30 m(2) g(-1). A MgO concentration of 5% was found to strike a balance between the increased photovoltage and decreased photocurrent, possessing a BET surface area of 35 m(2) g(-1) and a large pore volume in both the meso- and macropore range, which lead to a higher overall power conversion efficiency than NiO alone.

Spectroscopic studies of porphyrin functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their interaction with TiO2 nanoparticles surface

UV-vis and fluorescence investigations about the non-covalent interaction, in ethanolic solutions, of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) with Coproporphyrin-I, and its Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes (MCPIs) have been reported. Evidence of binding between MWCNTs and porphyrins was discovered from spectral adsorption decrease with respect to free porphyrins and by the exhibition of photoluminescence quenching with respect to free porphyrins demonstrating that MWCNT@MCPIs are potential donor-acceptor complexes. Equilibrium and kinetic aspects in the interactions with monolayer transparent TiO2 thin films with the obtained MWCNT@MCPIs are clarified showing their effective adsorption by porphyrin links on the TiO2 monolayer support, with respect to not only MWCNTs, according to the Langmuir model and with pseudo-first-order kinetics. Morphological description of the adsorption of MWCNT@MCPIs on TiO2 with scanning electron microscopy has been reported. The obtained experimental evidences describe therefore MWCNT@MCPIs as potential sensitizers in the DSSC (Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell) applications.

Equilibrium and Kinetic Aspects in the Sensitization of Monolayer Transparent TiO2 Thin Films with Porphyrin Dyes for DSSC Applications

Free base, Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of the 2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid of 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H porphyrin (CPI) in solution and bounded to transparent monolayer TiO2 nanoparticle films were studied to determine their adsorption on TiO2 surface, to measure the adsorption kinetics and isotherms, and to use the results obtained to optimize the preparation of DSSC photovoltaic cells. Adsorption studies were carried out on monolayer transparent TiO2 films of a known thickness. Langmuir and Frendlich adsorption constants of CPI-dyes on TiO2 monolayer surface have been calculated as a function of the equilibrium concentrations in the solutions. The amount of these adsorbed dyes showed the accordance with Langmuir isotherm. Kinetic data on the adsorption of dyes showed significantly better fits to pseudo-first-order model and the evaluated rate constants linearly increased with the grow of initial dye concentrations. The stoichiometry of the adsorption of CPI-dyes into TiO2 and the influence of presence of coadsorbent (chenodeoxycholic acid) have been established. The DSSC obtained in the similar conditions showed that the best efficiency can be obtained in the absence of coadsorbent with short and established immersion times.

Kinetic and equilibrium studies on mercury(II)-coproporphyrin-I. Metal ion exchange reaction with cobalt(II) and application to determination of trace mercury(II)

The reaction of 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H-porphine-2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid or coproporphyrin-I (CPI) with mercury(II) was studied spectrophotometrically, and kinetic and equilibrium constants were determined; the influence of temperature on the reaction rate was also studied. It was verified that mercury(II) accelerates the incorporation reaction of cobalt(II) into CPI; the kinetics and mechanism of this reaction at high alkaline pH were studied. Sensitive kinetic methods for the determination of mercury(II) at ppb levels have been established; the apparent molar absorbivity and Sandells sensitivity for the recommended procedure, at 368 nm, and 400 s after the start of the reaction, were: 4.23x10(5) (l mol(-1)cm(-1)) and 0.474 (ng cm(-2)) (for A=0.001).