In one aspect, the invention provides a method of promoting a carbon-sulfur bond forming reaction. In certain embodiments, the reaction comprises cross-coupling of a(n) (hetero)aryl halide with a thiol to form the carbon-sulfur bond, wherein the method is promoted by light irradiation in the absence of a photocatalyst. In other embodiments, the cross-coupling reaction can be promoted through visible light irradiation, including sunlight.

Described herein are systems incorporating a Casimir cavity, such as an optical Casimir cavity or a plasmon Casimir cavity. The Casimir cavity modifies the zero-point energy density therein as compared to outside of the Casimir cavity. The Casimir cavities are paired in the disclosed systems with product generating devices and the difference in zero-point energy densities is used to directly drive the generation of products, such as chemical reaction products or emitted light.

Provided is a method of separating carbon and oxygen isotopes by using a laser. In one preferred embodiment, the method includes performing a photolysis process on formaldehyde including a carbon or oxygen isotope by irradiation with ultraviolet light having a wavelength ranging from 340 nm to 360 nm to generate carbon monoxide having a carbon or oxygen isotope enriched therein and hydrogen, performing a catalytic reaction on the carbon monoxide having a carbon or oxygen isotope enriched therein and the hydrogen to synthesize carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and water (H.sub.2O) having a carbon or oxygen isotope enriched therein, and cooling the H.sub.2O to recover CO.sub.2 having a carbon isotope enriched therein or H.sub.2O having an oxygen isotope enriched therein.

An improved photocatalytic reactor stator having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and at least one channel extending between the first surface and the second surface to allow fluid flow through the stator. The at least one channel may be configured to redirect the fluid flow in a direction substantially parallel to the first and/or second surface. This improved photocatalytic reactor stator improves the performance of a photocatalytic reactor by increasing the mobility of the photocatalyst and thereby increasing the surface area of the catalyst that is exposed to the reactant and the UV light source.

A system and a method for converting Natural Gas (NG) to high energy transportable liquid (such as gasoline) are disclosed. A semiconductor UV-source is used for initiate a photo lytic reaction between methane molecules and photons having energy equal or bigger than the energy of dissociation of the C—H bond in methane. The formed radicles are further react to produce higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, while hydrogen gas is separates from the reaction mixture in order to avoid reverse reactions.

A photo-catalyst (E.sub.p) is regarded as an alternate method to replace the plasma chemical process and as an additional catalytic processing scheme on top of a micro- or nano-structured catalyst (E.sub.c) and electro-catalyst (E.sub.v). The potential energy reduction that results from the effect of photo-enhanced electro-catalyst (PEEC) is significant.

A photocatalyst powder is provided. The photocatalyst powder includes a plurality of nano crystallite aggregates formed by a plurality of nano crystallites. Each of the nano crystallites exhibits a single crystal structure. The nano crystallites have different compositions, different crystal phases, and different lattice constants from each other. An example of the nano crystallites is represented as the formula of ZnO.sub.1-xS.sub.x with different x values in each of the nano crystallites. In addition, a hydrogen producing system is also provided.

A method of removing at least one single ring aromatic hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon contaminated fluid. The method includes contacting the hydrocarbon contaminated fluid with carbon nanotubes to adsorb the at least one single ring aromatic hydrocarbon while exposing the hydrocarbon contaminated fluid and the carbon nanotubes to UV irradiation from at least one UV light source, preferably a UV light emitting diode (LED), with a wavelength of about 315-415 nm, preferably about 365 nm, to form a treated fluid having a reduced concentration of the at least one single ring aromatic hydrocarbon relative to the hydrocarbon contaminated fluid.

Supported chromium catalysts with an average valence less than +6 and having a hydrocarbon-containing or halogenated hydrocarbon-containing ligand attached to at least one bonding site on the chromium are disclosed, as well as ethylene-based polymers with terminal alkane, aromatic, or halogenated hydrocarbon chain ends. Another ethylene polymer characterized by at least 2 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight greater than 1,000,000 g/mol and at least 1.5 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight less than 1000 g/mol is provided, as well as an ethylene homopolymer with at least 3.5 methyl short chain branches and less than 0.6 butyl short chain branches per 1000 total carbon atoms.

InGaN offers a route to high efficiency overall water splitting under one-step photo-excitation. Further, the chemical stability of metal-nitrides supports their use as an alternative photocatalyst. However, the efficiency of overall water splitting using InGaN and other visible light responsive photocatalysts has remained extremely low despite prior art work addressing optical absorption through band gap engineering. Within this prior art the detrimental effects of unbalanced charge carrier extraction/collection on the efficiency of the four electron-hole water splitting reaction have remained largely unaddressed. To address this growth processes are presented that allow for controlled adjustment and establishment of the appropriate Fermi level and/or band bending in order to allow the photochemical water splitting to proceed at high rate and high efficiency. Beneficially, establishing such material surface charge properties also reduces photo-corrosion and instability under harsh photocatalysis conditions.