Solar hydrogen production from aqueous solutions of ethanol at near ambient tem...

• Author(s): Rangel, C. M. ; Silva, R. A. ; Fernandes, Vitor R. ; Paiva, T. I.
• Date: 2008
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/411
• Origin: Repositório do LNEG
• Subject(s): Photo-catalytic; Hydrogen production; Doped-titanium dioxide; Ethanol
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

Nanostructured semi-conductor materials based on titanium dioxide, with effective photo-catalytic properties under UV illumination, were synthesized using sol-gel technology and characterized by X-Ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, with the objective of studying the photo-catalytic hydrogen production from water. The need to decrease the electron-hole recombination rate was accounted for by metal doping and the addition of ethanol as a hole trap. Aqueous suspensions of the semiconductor powders, with noble metal loadings (Pt) of 1.5 wt% were used and the effect of solution pH and temperature (20-70ºC) on hydrogen production were studied, for a selected catalyst concentration. Hydrogen production rates were found to be linear with solution temperature with values larger than published literature data.