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<article article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">najo</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Nanosystems: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Наносистемы: физика, химия, математика</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="ppub">2220-8054</issn><issn pub-type="epub">2305-7971</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Университет ИТМО</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.17586/2220-8054-2025-16-6-865-871</article-id><article-id custom-type="elpub" pub-id-type="custom">najo-1625</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="section-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>CHEMISTRY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="section-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>ХИМИЯ И НАУКА О МАТЕРИАЛАХ</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>Microwave-assisted synthesis of M/TiO₂/C (M=Ni, Cu, Ni–Cu) photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction: structural evolution and photocatalytic properties</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Синтез фотокатализаторов M/TiO₂/C (M=Ni, Cu, Ni-Cu) для восстановления CO₂ с помощью микроволнового излучения: структурная эволюция и фотокаталитические свойства</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9103-3977</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Кашанский</surname><given-names>В. С.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Kashansky</surname><given-names>V. S.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Vladislav S. Kashansky</p><p> 420008, Kazan</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">vladkashansky@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8481-8544</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Сухов</surname><given-names>А. В.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Sukhov</surname><given-names>A. V.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Alexander V. Sukhov</p><p>420088, Kazan</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">alex.suhoff@rambler.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3908-1963</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Журенок</surname><given-names>А. В.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Zhurenok</surname><given-names>A. V.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Angelina V. Zhurenok</p><p> 630090, Novosibirsk</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">angelinazhurenok@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-2"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8822-5148</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Мищенко</surname><given-names>Д. Д.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Mishchenko</surname><given-names>D. D.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Denis D. Mishchenko</p><p>630559, Kol’tsovo</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">q14999@yandex.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-3"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3107-5251</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Софьичева</surname><given-names>О. С.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Soficheva</surname><given-names>O. S.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Olga S. Soficheva </p><p> 420088, Kazan</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">olga.soficheva@iopc.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-4"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8944-7666</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Козлова</surname><given-names>Е. А.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Kozlova</surname><given-names>E. A.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Ekaterina A. Kozlova</p><p>630090, Novosibirsk</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">kozlova@catalysis.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-2"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2241-9764</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Синяшин</surname><given-names>О. Г.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Sinyashin</surname><given-names>O. G.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Oleg G. Sinyashin</p><p>420088, Kazan</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">oleg@iopc.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-4"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3906-8841</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name name-style="eastern" xml:lang="ru"><surname>Яхваров</surname><given-names>Д. Г.</given-names></name><name name-style="western" xml:lang="en"><surname>Yakhvarov</surname><given-names>D. G.</given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Dmitry G. Yakhvarov</p><p>420088, Kazan</p></bio><email xlink:type="simple">yakhvar@iopc.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff-1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff-1"><aff xml:lang="en">Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center RAS; A. M. Butlerov Institute of Chemistry, Kazan Federal University<country>Russian Federation</country></aff></aff-alternatives><aff-alternatives id="aff-2"><aff xml:lang="en">Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS<country>Russian Federation</country></aff></aff-alternatives><aff-alternatives id="aff-3"><aff xml:lang="en">Synchrotron Radiation Facility SKIF, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis<country>Russian Federation</country></aff></aff-alternatives><aff-alternatives id="aff-4"><aff xml:lang="en">Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center RAS<country>Russian Federation</country></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date pub-type="collection"><year>2025</year></pub-date><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>06</day><month>01</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>16</volume><issue>6</issue><fpage>865</fpage><lpage>871</lpage><permissions><copyright-statement>Copyright &amp;#x00A9; Kashansky V.S., Sukhov A.V., Zhurenok A.V., Mishchenko D.D., Soficheva O.S., Kozlova E.A., Sinyashin O.G., Yakhvarov D.G., 2026</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Кашанский В.С., Сухов А.В., Журенок А.В., Мищенко Д.Д., Софьичева О.С., Козлова Е.А., Синяшин О.Г., Яхваров Д.Г.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Kashansky V.S., Sukhov A.V., Zhurenok A.V., Mishchenko D.D., Soficheva O.S., Kozlova E.A., Sinyashin O.G., Yakhvarov D.G.</copyright-holder><license license-type="creative-commons-attribution" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xlink:type="simple"><license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.</license-p></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://nanojournal.ifmo.ru/jour/article/view/1625">https://nanojournal.ifmo.ru/jour/article/view/1625</self-uri><abstract><p>This study presents the synthesis of a TiO2-based composite material with transition metal (Ni, Cu) nanoparticles using microwave radiation. The obtained materials were characterised using X-ray powder diffraction, and the size of the nanoparticles was determined using the Scherrer equation. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesised composites was studied in reaction of CO2 reduction to CO and CH4 under the visible light with a wavelength of 400 nm. Microwave treatment of a mixture of TiO2 with transition metal salts (Ni, Cu) and graphite was founded to decrease a photocatalytic activity in CO2 reduction reaction, while a mechanical mixture of TiO2 and graphite, not subjected to microwave treatment, demonstrated increased catalytic activity compared to unmodified TiO2 Evonik P25. The decrease in catalytic activity of the case of microwave-treated samples is associated with an irreversible phase transition of the photoactive anatase phase into the catalytically inert rutile phase and formation of TiO2−x phases. This process is induced by overheating during microwave synthesis, where graphite (Cg) acts as an effective microwave absorber and a reducing agent for Ti4+ cations in TiO2. The obtained results are interesting for the development of efficient TiO2-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>Методом микроволнового синтеза получены композиты на основе TiO2, модифицированные наночастицами переходных металлов (Ni, Cu). Структура полученных материалов охарактеризована с помощью рентгеновской порошковой дифракции, а размер кристаллитов оценен по уравнению Шеррера. Фотокаталитическая активность синтезированных композитов исследована в реакции восстановления CO2 до CO и CH4 при облучении светом с длиной волны 400 нм. Показано, что микроволновая обработка смеси TiO2 с графитом (Cg) и солями переходных металлов приводит к снижению фотокаталитической активности. В то же время механическая смесь TiO2 и графита, не подвергавшаяся микроволновому воздействию, проявляет более высокую активность по сравнению с немодифицированным TiO2 Evonik P25. Снижение активности у обработанных образцов обусловлено необратимым фазовым переходом фотоактивной фазы анатаза в каталитически инертную фазу рутила, а также образованием фаз TiO2-x. Причиной является перегрев в ходе синтеза, при котором Cg выступает в роли эффективного поглотителя микроволнового излучения и восстановителя катионов Ti4+ в структуре TiO2. Полученные результаты важны для разработки эффективных фотокатализаторов на основе TiO2 для восстановления CO2.</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>диоксид титана</kwd><kwd>фотокатализ</kwd><kwd>наночастицы переходных металлов</kwd><kwd>восстановление диоксида углерода</kwd><kwd>рентгеновская дифракция</kwd><kwd>зелёная химия</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>titanium dioxide</kwd><kwd>photocatalysis</kwd><kwd>transition metal nanoparticles</kwd><kwd>carbon dioxide reduction</kwd><kwd>X-ray diffraction</kwd><kwd>green chemistry</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group xml:lang="en"><funding-statement>This research was funded by the grant of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation for large scientific projects of the priority areas of scientific and technological development (Nr. 075-15-2024-646). The photocatalytic activity tests of the obtained materials were carried out under the government contract at Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (project FWUR-2024-0033). The XRD studies were performed using the equipment of the Multiaccess Centre “National Centre for Catalyst Research” of the Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences.</funding-statement></funding-group></article-meta></front><back><ref-list><title>References</title><ref id="cit1"><label>1</label><citation-alternatives><mixed-citation xml:lang="ru">Jeffry L., Ong M.Y., Nomanbhay S., Mofijur M., Mubashir M., Show P.L. Greenhouse gases utilization: A review. Fuel, 2021, 301, 121017.</mixed-citation><mixed-citation xml:lang="en">Jeffry L., Ong M.Y., Nomanbhay S., Mofijur M., Mubashir M., Show P.L. Greenhouse gases utilization: A review. 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