Unveiling the Potential Photothermal Activity of Vanadium Carbide for Driving Chemical Reactions

Abstract

Photothermally activated chemical reactions play a pivotal role in a wide range of applications, highlighting the need for efficient photothermal agents. The photothermal effect, which utilizes dominant nonradiative deexcitation mechanisms, has been extensively demonstrated in nanoscale systems, including plasmonic metals, inorganic semiconductors, organic materials, and polymers. However, the development of these photothermal materials often requires intricate fabrication and separation techniques, presenting significant challenges for practical implementation. Here we demonstrate that commercially available bulk vanadium monocarbide (VC) powder exhibits excellent light-to-heat conversion efficiency (∼70%), combined with remarkable chemical, thermal, and optical stability (against intense laser irradiation). These unique attributes of VC were harnessed to drive industrially relevant photothermally activated chemical reactions, specifically in the polymerization of acrylic monomers and the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction between anthracene and N-phenyl maleimide. Comprehensive analysis through FTIR and ¹H NMR studies confirms the successful formation of products in both the reactions. Importantly, the photothermal reactions exhibit significantly reduced reaction times compared to the conventional thermal protocols. Furthermore, the recoverability of VC powder after the completion of the reactions enhances environmental sustainability. This study contributes valuable insights into the utilization of commercially available bulk VC powder as an off-the-shelf, cost-effective, efficient and sustainable photothermal agent for various chemical transformations.