Photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production using carbon nanotubes-based catalysts under visible light
The most common methods that are widely used to produce hydrogen are steam reforming and catalytic reforming. Both methods rely on the use of fossil fuels, thus generating large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Hydrogen production from photocatalytic water splitting using solar...
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| Format: | Final Year Project |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2010
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39670 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The most common methods that are widely used to produce hydrogen are steam reforming
and catalytic reforming. Both methods rely on the use of fossil fuels, thus generating large
amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Hydrogen production from photocatalytic
water splitting using solar energy and photocatalysts is considered as one of the promising
routes.
In the experiments involved in this Final Year Project, water splitting photocatalysts have been
successfully synthesized using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) as support. MWNT was
useful as a support as it is able to serve as an electrical conductor and is corrosion resistant. Its
electrical conductivity allows for the transfer of electrons from the conduction band of CNTs to
metal particles deposited on the surface of MWNTs, while photo-generated valence band holes
remain on MWNT. This enables efficient separation and stronger photocatalytic reactions by
greatly reducing the possibility of electron-hole recombination. Being corrosion resistant allows
MWNT-supported catalysts to last longer when used to catalyse reactions.
Various parameters such as metal loading, pH and cooling time have been tested to investigate
the effect on the activity of the photocatalysts synthesized. Experiments using single-walled
carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and carbon nanospheres (CNS) as photocatalyst supports were
conducted to test their effectiveness. An extended water-splitting test was then conducted
using the optimal photocatalysts and experimental conditions to test the stability of the
catalytic reaction. The best H2 production rate obtained was 465.97 μmol/h. |
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