- The full article entitled “Unraveling Defect-Dependent Conductivity-Type Switching in CuFe2O4 for Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Reduction of Benaldehyde” can now be found at the ACS website (ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2026, 18, 12759-12769)
- Authors: Yen-Chun Huang, Manoj Kumar Mohanta, Jun-Lin Fong, Abdul M. Reyes, Sebastian E. Reyes-Lillo, Chang-Ming Jiang*
Converting solar energy into value-added chemicals is a key challenge in sustainable chemistry and energy conversion. A research team led by Assistant Professor Chang-Ming Jiang in the Department of Chemistry, NTU, uses copper iron oxide (CuFe2O4) as a model system to demonstrate that precise control of crystallographic defects enables photo-driven carbonyl reduction under ambient conditions—a transformation that is also representative of biomass upgrading processes. By tuning annealing temperature and oxygen partial pressure, the relative populations of oxygen and copper vacancies can be controlled, enabling a transition from n-type to p-type conductivity in CuFe2O4 and significantly improving charge transport and interfacial reaction kinetics. In addition, the incorporation of a redox mediator facilitates efficient transfer of photogenerated electrons to the reactant while suppressing competing side reactions. The optimized photocathode operates stably for up to 18 hours under simulated sunlight and demonstrates efficient conversion of benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol. This work highlights how integrating defect engineering and interfacial reaction design enables precise control over the electronic properties and catalytic behavior of semiconductor photoelectrodes, providing a practical and scalable strategy for solar-driven organic transformations.
