Novel twin reactor for separate evolution of hydrogen and oxygen in photocatalytic water splitting
Journal
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Journal Volume
35
Journal Issue
4
Pages
1523-1529
Date Issued
2010
Author(s)
Abstract
Photocatalytic water splitting with separate H2 and O2 evolution is crucial because it eliminates the explosion potential and hydrogen-purification cost. A novel twin reactor was designed to separate the evolution of hydrogen and oxygen in photocatalytic water splitting under visible light. A modified Nafion membrane was employed to segregate the two photocatalysts in the twin reactor so that hydrogen and oxygen can be evolved separately. Conventional Z-scheme catalysts, Pt/SrTiO3:Rh and WO3, were used as hydrogen-photocatalyst and oxygen-photocatalyst, respectively. Fe2+ and Fe3+ were added in the reaction solution as electron-transfer mediator. The ratio of evolved H2 and O2 was in agreement with the stoichiometric ratio (2:1) of hydrogen and oxygen of water. An average hydrogen generation rate of 1.59 μmol/g-h was achieved in the twin-reactor system, which was twice as much as that in the conventional Z-scheme system. The improved H2 yield was due to the prevention of the water-splitting backward reaction in the twin reactor. © 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu.
Subjects
Hydrogen; Photocatalytic water splitting; Twin reactor; Visible-light-response photocatalyst; Z-scheme
Other Subjects
Backward reactions; Electron-transfer; Explosion potential; Hydrogen generations; Nafion membrane; Photocatalytic water splitting; Reaction solutions; Reactor systems; Stoichiometric ratio; Twin reactor; Visible light; Visible-light-response; Visible-light-response photocatalyst; Water splitting; Hydrogen production; Oxygen; Rhodium; Separation; Photocatalysts
Type
journal article