PHOTOREDUCTIVE SEQUESTRATION OF CO2 TO FORM C1 PRODUCTS AND FUEL

Analytical methods for determining formic and oxalic acids, formaldehyde and methanol have been evaluated and/or optimized for measuring products from photoreduction of CO{sub 2} in illuminated, aqueous suspensions of photocatalysts. An electrophoretic analysis method can detect aqueous formate and oxalate ions at 3 and 1 {micro}M respectively. Recalibration of the Nash formaldehyde determination shows that as little as 0.5 {micro}M can be detected spectrally. Several experiments using suspensions of TiO{sub 2}, SrTiO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3} with Cr and Sb were tested in CO{sub 2} saturated solutions. No formate was detected in most experiments. However adding 2-propanol to a CO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} suspension gave significant amounts of formate and some formaldehyde by blocking the re-oxidation of formate by semiconductor holes. Loss of C{sub 1} products by re-oxidation is probably an important process limiting the accumulation of formate, formaldehyde and methanol.